Andromeda's Galaxy
by sheyamiku
Summary: Andromeda loved her sisters and her sisters loved her. They were her world. There were no secrets between them. Until Bellatrix met Rodolphus, and suddenly there were. And the more she tried to make things right, the more Andromeda realised that she didn't know what "right" was. And as she let others into her heart, she realised that maybe her world did not have to feel so small.
1. Andromeda Black

**Volume I**

* * *

**CHAPTER 1  
Andromeda Black**

* * *

Andromeda Black, at the age of sixteen, had known nothing but a life of wealth, comfort, and abundance. It was a closed, secluded life within a closed, exclusive group of people, confined to a limited number of closed-off and often isolated locations. The world, to a sixteen-year-old Andromeda Black, felt small, like a village. No, like a bubble. No, like an atom. The world was Andromeda's atom. And the more time she spent in it, the more it bored her.

Which was why Andromeda found herself brimming with excitement the day her older sister Bellatrix announced, letter in hand, that her classmate Liantris Greengrass had invited them to a party he was organising at his family's manor to celebrate the end of their last summer as Hogwarts students. The party was to take place on the thirtieth of August and Liantris had promised that the guest list included witches and wizards whom the Black sisters had never met before.

When came the evening of the thirtieth of August, Andromeda and Bellatrix apparated in front of Greengrass House.

Andromeda was familiar with the mansion. The Greengrasses were an old Pure-blood family and traditionally Slytherin. More than once had they invited the Blacks over for a casual tea or a high-society ball. Moreover, Liantris Greengrass was the same age as Bellatrix and his sister Maggie was a Ravenclaw in Andromeda's year. The four of them had known each other for a long time.

As they approached the gate leading to the front door, Andromeda and Bellatrix heard a loud crack behind them and turned around to see who had appeared. It was a pretty girl with a perfectly oval face, bushy eyebrows and a thin layer of freckles sprinkled over her nose. They had barely finished making out her familiar features that Sophie Gamp was coming at them with arms wide open.

'My favourite sisters!' she exclaimed, pulling Bellatrix in her arms.

Had it been anyone else, Andromeda would have feared for the person's life, but Sophie had been a constant presence in the sisters' life since early childhood, and her occasional displays of physical affection were thus tolerated.

She hugged Andromeda as well and kept an arm around her shoulders while addressing Bellatrix.

'I'm so happy you two could come! How did you convince your parents? I thought they would never let you.'

Bellatrix cackled. 'Our father never would've if Andromeda hadn't been the one to ask,' she said.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. 'Don't say that, Bella.' Turning to Sophie she added, 'I just told him it was an opportunity to make the right connections. I said the contacts we make at this party could help us in the future, since this will be Bella's last year at Hogwarts.'

'And it worked?'

'Of course,' snarled Bellatrix. 'Andromeda is the _reasonable_ one after all.'

Andromeda bit her lip while Bellatrix and Sophie laughed. As gritting as it was to hear it from her sister, she knew it to be true. Cygnus and Druella Black would never have agreed to a request by Bellatrix; she was too "wild", they would say. And her little sister Narcissa, although undoubtedly the favourite, was too "immature". Speaking of Narcissa…

'You left Cissy at home?' Sophie asked. 'I can't imagine the fit she must have thrown.'

'Oh, don't even mention it,' Andromeda said with a sigh and a smile as they reprised their walk towards the front door. 'She yelled about how unfair it was for about three hours.'

'_I'm thirteeeeen_,' squealed Bellatrix in a gratingly shrilly voice. '_Why can't I coooome! It's so unfaaaiiir!_'

Sophie was doubled over with laughter. 'Merlin, I can picture it so clearly!'

'She said there was no reason Andy could come and not her, which is ridiculous because Andy is practically my twin.'

Knocking on the front door of the mansion, Bellatrix glanced at Andromeda over her shoulder and grinned widely. The two of them truly could pass off as twins. They were born only ten months apart and both bore the patrician beauty of the black family with their high cheekbones, strong jaws and thin lips. But Bellatrix's hair and heavy-lidded eyes were as dark as ebony, while Andromeda's long, thick, shiny curls were a lighter brown and her eyes were softer and wider than her sister's.

The front door opened, just then, interrupting Bellatrix's relentless knocking, and Liantris Greengrass appeared on the other side.

He was very tall and very handsome and very aware of both those facts. It was obvious in the casual way with which he brushed back his luxurious blond waves and winked at them with emerald eyes. He squealed when he saw them and attempted to put his arms around Andromeda, only to be stopped by a frowning and unamused Bellatrix.

'Girls!' he exclaimed as if the oldest Black sister was not glaring at him. 'I'm so happy you could come! Particularly you, Andromeda, love. We barely see each other since we've broken up.'

Andromeda rolled her eyes. 'That was two years ago, Liantris,' she said. 'And we see each other often enough.'

Liantris laughed. He loved to tease her about the brief romance they had had when she was in her fourth year and he was in his fifth. Andromeda did not mind because it had been sweet while it lasted but had never meant all that much to either of them.

Liantris ushered them inside the living room. It was filled to the brim with high-society teenagers and young adults. Some were still at Hogwarts, others were not, and most were Slytherins, meaning that Andromeda knew the vast majority of them. It was not long before they stumbled upon Maggie Greengrass.

Maggie was a petite girl, with a short, curly bob of chestnut hair and eyes as green as her brother's. She had to yell to be heard over the hubbub of voices and music.

'Meda! You've come!'

'Of course,' replied Andromeda. 'And so did the rest of the wizarding world, apparently!'

Maggie grimaced at that. 'I know. My brother likes to make a commotion.'

'Now, now, Maggie,' said Liantris. 'Don't go around, ruining my reputation. Every single one of my guests is highly respectable.'

Maggie rolled her eyes. 'I'm afraid there are too many Slytherins here for me to agree.'

Liantris laughed but Andromeda noticed that Bellatrix and Sophie's smiles were not as genuine.

'Well, Liantris,' she said to distract them from Maggie's jest, 'if you're so proud of your guests, introduce us to one of them.'

Liantris made to think before puffing out his chest. 'Have you heard of Rodolphus Lestrange?' he asked.

'Rodolphus Lestrange?' Sophie exclaimed.

The Lestranges were one of the oldest, most noble families of wizarding Britain. Andromeda had met Rufus Lestrange a number of times (he was a friend of her father) but could not remember ever encountering a son of his. Her eyes naturally searched for those of Bellatrix and she discerned in them a look of even greater interest than she possessed.

'Yes, Rodolphus Lestrange, oldest son of Rufus Lestrange,' Liantris continued with a smug smile on his face. 'I invited him. My father and his work together at the Department of International Magical Cooperation. You ladies wouldn't know him, though: he used to study at Durmstrang.'

'From what I know,' said Sophie conspiratorially, 'he is one of the most sought-after bachelors out there.'

'Sure is,' replied Liantris. 'The Lestranges possess one of the biggest fortunes in the country, after all, and he is the heir of the family. Not to mention their blood is as pure as can be and so on and so forth…'

Maggie rolled her eyes and Bellatrix whispered, 'Interesting…' which caught Andromeda's attention; Bellatrix had never shown any interest in marriage before.

'I will introduce you,' said Liantris, turning towards Bellatrix. 'I was heading for him before I heard you pounding on my door. He is in the garden.'

The group headed out together, minus Maggie, who claimed she had heard another knock on the door. On the way, Liantris turned to Sophie.

'And what's new with you?' he asked.

'Not much,' she replied.

'Regained any of your family's fortune yet?'

Sophie lost her smile and her eyes lost their shine. She glared instead, in a way Andromeda had only seen once or twice on her affable face. Liantris laughed but quickly stopped to offer her an apologetic smile. It was a known fact that the Gamp family was on the verge of bankruptcy, although Sophie and her father tried very hard not to let it show: they might not be of the Sacred Twenty-Eight, but they were one of the Old Families after all.

'I'm sorry,' Liantris said, sounding sincere. 'I won't bring it up again.'

Sophie did not reply.

Thankfully, they reached Rodolphus Lestrange before Liantris could come up with another gaffe.

At least, Andromeda assumed that the tall stranger with slick black hair, a wooden cane of waxed ebony and costly robes layered with satin and velvet, was, in fact, Rodolphus Lestrange. Everything in him claimed his Pure-blood status and he was standing at the centre of a group of other Pure-bloods who seemed hooked on whatever he was telling them.

'Rodolphus!' called Liantris as they approached the group, and the stranger stopped talking to raise a mildly startled eyebrow. 'This is Sophie Gamp, and these are Bellatrix and Andromeda Black.'

Rodolphus smiled discreetly before taking a step in their direction and bowing respectfully.

'The Blacks,' he said in a deep, gravelly voice. 'Of course.'

'What is that supposed to mean?' snapped Bellatrix.

'Only that your family has quite a reputation,' he replied, 'and that I've heard many things about you.'

Bellatrix crossed her arms on her chest and stood with her hips swayed but her weight on one hip. 'All good things I hope?' she sneered.

Rodolphus smiled wolfishly. 'All to my taste.'

Andromeda shuddered. She did not like where this was going. She dared a glance towards her sister and found in those black eyes an all too familiar gleam. _Oh Merlin_, she thought.

'Oi, Rodolphus!' called a red-head in the crowd. 'Mind carrying on with what you were saying?'

The little group that was amassed around Rodolphus started voicing its approval. Andromeda bit her lip as she noticed Rodolphus's eyes linger on Bellatrix longer than necessary before turning away.

'You're right,' he said, 'I was talking about the injustices done to the Pure-blood community.'

_Urgh_, thought Andromeda. _Politics_.

But the more he talked, the more attentive she became. The conversation was quickly turning into a lecture as Rodolphus went on and on about the importance of the old Pure-blood families as upholders of traditional values, and how the increasing liberalisation of wizarding society led to decadence in the bloodlines and loss of magic.

It became increasingly apparent to Andromeda that the young man was evaluating his audience, measuring whether or not they agreed with him. He must have felt confident that they did because after a good half-hour of preaching, he revealed that there was someone out there who had the best interests of the magical community at heart, and the willpower to act on it.

'We call him, "the Dark Lord",' he said, 'and he is looking for supporters.'

A heavy silence took over the audience. An uneasy knot grew in Andromeda's stomach and without thinking she started to mould her expression into a mask of perfect indifference. Her eyes searched for Bellatrix as always, but Bellatrix, this time, did not look back. She was focused on Rodolphus and her black eyes shone with a new kind of light. One that brought fear to Andromeda's heart.

'I would tell you more,' Rodolphus continued, 'but the Dark Lord thrives in secrecy and only the pure of heart can be allowed in his confidence.'

While he talked, Andromeda leaned into Bellatrix's ear and whispered that she was going to the bathroom. Bellatrix waved her off absent-mindedly and, disappointed, Andromeda turned on her heel and headed back to the mansion.

'Wait, Andy, I'll come with you,' said Sophie.

Andromeda nodded.

_oooOOOooo_

'This Rodolphus,' Andromeda said while looking at her reflexion in the mirror, 'what he was saying…'

'It was scary, wasn't it?' offered Sophie who was re-applying her makeup next to her.

'It is exactly the kind of thinking the Ministry is campaigning against.'

'Well, of course the Ministry would campaign against it. The Minister for Magic is muggle-born. Rodolphus and his Dark Lord are preaching that Muggle-borns are inferior. They seem to want war.'

'I know.'

'They aren't wrong though,' Sophie continued. 'Muggle-borns are inferior, are they not?'

'Of course they are,' replied Andromeda, annoyed. 'That's not what worries me.'

'What worries you, then?'

'You said it yourself: they seem to want war. You'd think we'd all have learned from Grindelwald's war, wouldn't you? Dumbledore's victory ruined a lot of Pure-blood families. Besides, "_the Dark Lord thrives in secrecy_,"?', Andromeda repeated. 'That sounds like a cult to me.'

'I know,' agreed Sophie, frowning. 'And seeing the reaction of Rodolphus's audience tonight, I say it is bound to take enormous proportions before long. Makes you wonder what the wise thing to do would be: pick a side or remain neutral.'

Andromeda frowned, and for a second, her mask fell and worry transpired through her patrician features.

'Bella will never remain neutral,' she said.

Sophie nodded pensively.

_oooOOOooo_

When the girls had re-joined the group in the gardens, Rodolphus had disappeared and Liantris had replaced him as the centre of attention. Mirroring their differing personalities, the mood had gone from conspiratorial to cheerful and festive. Except Andromeda felt neither cheerful nor festive. Sophie had joined a clutter of some of Rodolphus's audience, among which Andromeda recognised Thorfinn Rowle, Bertram Gibbon and Theodore Travers.

'Liantris,' she called, not caring that she was interrupting him mid-joke, 'where's my sister?'

Liantris made to think. 'I think I saw her sneak out while I was talking. I suppose she went after Rodolphus.'

'Where?'

Liantris smiled knowingly. 'He said he was re-joining his father who's with my parents on the second floor. But if I were you, I'd look for a room with a bed.'

Ignoring Liantris's bout of laughter, Andromeda turned around to integrate Sophie's group of friends. Absent-mindedly sipping the lime soda she had snatched from a server, she pretended to care about their conversation for what felt like ages before giving up and heading back towards the mansion.

She had a perfectly valid reason to go after Bellatrix, that reason being, she did not have a good feeling about Rodolphus. The Lestrange heir was four years older than her sister, preached for a potentially dangerous cult, and had that predatory aura about him that did not sit well with Andromeda.

Feeling rather anxious, Andromeda opened about every door in the house before at last finding what she was looking for, and immediately regretting it.

Rodolphus was sitting on a chair, in a study, with half a dozen empty bottles of Firewhiskey at his feet and Bellatrix straddling his lap. They were kissing, making wet noises and sounds which Andromeda did not ever want to hear come out of her sister's mouth ever again.

'Bella!' she called, if only to make it stop.

Bellatrix jumped and looked at the door like a deer in headlight, but when she saw Andromeda, she ignored her and turned back to Rodolphus.

'Go away, Andy…'

'Bella, you met that man a little less than four hours ago.'

Rodolphus groaned. 'Is your sister always that annoying?' he growled.

As if hit by lightning, Bellatrix pushed him away and in the same movement, stepped away from him. He stumbled out of his chair rather comedically, yelling a pathetic 'Hey!'.

'Get away from me you disgusting pervert!' Bellatrix shrieked, lurching worryingly towards Andromeda who caught her in her arms before she could fall in a lump.

'How much did you drink?'

'Let's get out of here…' replied her sister instead.

Throwing a disgusted look at Rodolphus who was rolling around meekly on the ground, apparently just as drunk as Bellatrix was, Andromeda nodded and helped her across the mansion to a comfortable couch in the living room.

'You'll thank me later, Bella,' Andromeda whispered, sitting down next to her.

'I'll thank you now,' managed Bellatrix.

'You were all over each other.'

'He was saying… interesting things…'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. 'Like what?'

'I think I might throw up.'

And she did.

'Eww, come on!' groaned a girl behind them.

Andromeda turned around and became red with shame.

'Maggie!' she exclaimed. 'Oh, Merlin, I'm so sorry…'

'It's okay. I'll just call the house-elf. Dipsy!'

There was a crack and the ugly, pointy-eared creature appeared in the living-room.

'Clean that up, please,' said Maggie, pointing with disgust at the little pool of vomit at Bellatrix's feet. Andromeda bit her lip, just as revulsed by the elf as she was by the vomit.

'I'm sorry,' Andromeda repeated after a while. 'This party was supposed to be a distinguished event.'

Maggie, who was now sitting on the other side of Bellatrix, laughed at that.

'Don't worry about it, Meda. And your reputation won't even suffer for it because my parents have been sending everyone to sleep in the tents pitched in the gardens.'

'Even Rodolphus Lestrange?'

'His father was with my parents on the second floor. He's just left, pulling Rodolphus by the collar. Didn't look too happy.'

'And Sophie?'

'According to Liantris, she disappeared in a tent somewhere, with Theo Travers.'

That was an interesting piece of gossip but Andromeda decided to think about it later.

'You wouldn't happen to have a sobriety potion, would you?' she asked.

'Used the last on Rodolphus Lestrange. Sorry.'

'Dipsy can buy a potion for hangovers tomorrow,' Liantris said, sauntering into the room with his usual swagger. 'Bellatrix can take it before going back home and your parents won't suspect a thing.'

'Thank you so much, Liantris. And sorry for the bother.'

'Not at all. You're our friend, Meda.'

Andromeda smiled hoping to conceal her uneasiness: she was afraid they held her in higher esteem than she did them.

As Bellatrix fell asleep, Andromeda and the Greengrasses chatted comfortably through the night about this and that, Sophie and Theo, Rodolphus Lestrange…

'What did you think about him?' Maggie asked.

Andromeda shrugged. 'He seemed… a little full of himself.'

'Well, what did you think about what he had to say?' insisted Liantris.

Andromeda took her time before answering. She had to be careful pertaining to topics as sensitive as those. 'I thought he sounded very passionate,' she said slowly, 'but there was something a little alarming about what he was saying.'

She noticed Maggie and Liantris exchange a look and would have frowned if she had not trained herself for years to conceal her emotions behind a mask of indifference. She was usually very good at reading people (she believed it was partly to do with the few lessons in Legilimency she had received when she was little) but this time, she had no idea what their exchange implied.

'Well,' she said, standing up, 'I think Bella and I should head to the tent.'

'You two could stay in my room,' Maggie offered.

Andromeda pretended to hesitate.

'Thank you, Maggie, but we'll be fine in the tent. What if Bella wakes up and becomes sick on your carpet. I don't want us to leave a bad impression on your parents.'

'My parents know you two well enough, Meda,' said Maggie, but seeing as Andromeda was not changing her mind, she added: 'As you which. Liantris, would you help Meda drag her sister to their tent, please?'

'Of course,' said Liantris.

As he gathered Bellatrix in his arms, Andromeda could not help but feel bad. She liked the Greengrasses well enough, but she would rather have a sleepover with her sisters. The three of them told each other everything. They were the only ones Andromeda could trust, the only ones whom she truly loved, and the only ones who truly loved her.

They were Andromeda's world.


	2. The Smoothest Transition

**CHAPTER 2  
****The Smoothest Transition**

* * *

Andromeda distinctly remembered one afternoon spent on a deckchair in Sandbanks Beach, basking in the sun alongside her sisters and Sophie Gamp. She remembered the feel of the burning sun on her skin, the scent of seaside air tickling her nostrils, the taste of fresh lime soda on her tongue, and the sound of Sophie's drawling voice as she asked, nose stuck in _The_ _Daily Prophet_, 'Did you know Professor Dumbledore would be the one replacing Dippet as Headmaster?'

'No,' Andromeda remembered answering. 'But it doesn't really come as a surprise, now, does it?'

'I'd rather it was Slughorn,' Bellatrix had said. 'Dumbledore is one dodgy old sod.'

'Dumbledore? What do you mean?' had asked Narcissa while brushing her long, shiny blond hair.

'I mean, he always looks like he has something in the back of his mind, but all he does is stare with those creepy eyes of his… Not to mention he is clearly biased against Slytherin.'

Andromeda had nodded at that.

'Now that I think about it,' Narcissa had said pensively, 'I don't think father likes him either. I heard him talk with Abraxas Malfoy and the Mulcibers one day –'

'You mean you were eavesdropping…'

'– and they were saying how they hoped he wouldn't be the one to succeed to Dippet.'

'Ironically…'

'Oh, sod off, Andy!'

Andromeda had sniggered amusedly while taking a sip of her tasty lime soda.

Folding the Daily Prophet on her knees, Sophie had turned towards Bellatrix to ask, 'Well, what do you think will change now that Dumbledore is Headmaster?'

Bellatrix had shrugged 'I can't say for certain, now, can I?'

'Nothing will change,' had sighed Andromeda, wriggling deeper into her deckchair. 'Dumbledore has been teaching at Hogwarts and holding the title of Deputy Headmaster for decades. Dippet probably doesn't know half as much as Dumbledore does about what goes on at Hogwarts. It will be as smooth and uneventful a transition as any…'

Well, she had been wrong.

With Dumbledore's new position came drastic changes in personnel: Filius Flitwick had been hired as Charms Master and made Head of the Charms Department despite it being known that he had _goblin_ ancestry. Apollyon Pringle, the Caretaker, had been sacked to be replaced by Argus Filch, a suspected _squib_. Ogg, the Gamekeeper and Master of the Keys, had retired to be replaced by Hagrid, his assistant for more than twenty years but most notably, a suspected _half-giant_. Cerridwen Nightingale, the matron, had also retired to also be replaced by her assistant, a certain Poppy Pomfresh – although the latter had nothing reproachful about her, if only that her promotion had happened amidst the other shocking ones.

It was not long before half the Hogwarts Board of Governors – amongst whom sat Andromeda's father – entered the fray, passionately incriminating Dumbledore of using his newly acquired position at Hogwarts to enforce his personal agenda upon the students. "_I refuse for my children to be taught by half-breeds!_" professed an anonymous source in the Daily Prophet. "_Besides, we all know goblins hate humans. How long before this new Charms professor attacks one of the students?_". "_The new gamekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid, was expelled from Hogwarts twenty years ago. Bringing him back as assistant gamekeeper was a mistake. Having him take the position officially is a testament to the crumbling standards at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry,_" affirmed another. "_Albus Dumbledore continues to prove that his interests go against those of the magical community – that is to say, the only real and legitimate magical community: the human one,_" declared a third.

Sophie folded close her Daily Prophet and placed it carefully next to her plate on the Slytherin table. She released a long sigh that got lost in the hubbub of the Great Hall. 'This year starts promisingly,' she said.

Sitting opposite her, Bellatrix turned to Andromeda with a vengeful sneer. '_Nothing will change,_' she squealed in poor imitation of her sister. '_It will be the smoooooothest transitiooooon…_'

Andromeda rolled her eyes. 'Clearly, I was wrong.'

'That's what I'm saying.'

'I know. You can stop pointing it out, now.'

Bellatrix smirked. 'What if I don't want to?'

'I hate you.'

'Do you really think Hagrid is a half-giant?' Narcissa asked from the bench opposite Andromeda.

'Of course,' answered the eldest Black. 'Have you met a lot of humans as tall and hairy as this one? Look at him; he cannot even form proper words.'

Andromeda had heard enough of Hagrid talking to know that this was not exactly true. Although she did indeed find it difficult to believe that the newly appointed gamekeeper had normal human intelligence. First of all, one could not be smart to willingly dedicate their life to gardening, pet-keeping, and other forms of dirtying manual labour. The mere idea of leading such a life sent shivers up Andromeda's spine.

'At least he was not appointed Professor,' she muttered under her breath.

Bellatrix laughed out loud. So loud, in fact, that every head at the Slytherin table turned her way. 'The day this oaf becomes Professor at Hogwarts is the day a house-elf becomes Minister of Magic!' she exclaimed.

Andromeda hurriedly threw a glance at the staff table. A few teachers were looking their way but most seemed otherwise distracted. Andromeda allowed herself a small sigh of relief before turning back to her sister. 'Please do keep the mocking of staff members to a relatively low volume when in a room filled with said staff members, Bellatrix.'

Bellatrix stopped laughing. Her black eyes focused on Andromeda, and gradually seemed to stop reflecting the thousands of lights floating high above the Great Hall. 'Why,' she said. 'What can they do to me?'

Andromeda frowned. 'Detention might not look like much in the grand scheme of things, Bella,' she whispered back, 'but I still find it much too unpleasant to make the mocking of a half-breed worth it at all. Don't you agree?'

Bellatrix raised her eyebrows and made to think. 'I'm not sure I do,' she said, and Andromeda was about to scold her further when she continued, 'but lucky for you, I'm a little tired this evening.'

Sophie chuckled as she gulped down her pumpkin juice. 'I hear a nine-hour-long train ride will do that to you.'

'The train,' Bellatrix groaned. 'Another stupid muggle invention that some daft Minister for Magic forced witches and wizards to comply to. I say we should be allowed to reach Hogwarts through magic. It would be much simpler and more sanitary.'

Narcissa looked up from the food she had been nibbling preciously. 'What's unsanitary about the Hogwarts Express?' she asked.

Bellatrix pinched her nose. 'The mud,' she sniggered.

Sophie snorted behind her fork and along with Bellatrix, the two lost themselves in an uncontrollable fit of giggles that made Narcissa frown and Andromeda roll her eyes.

'I don't get it,' blurted Narcissa sullenly. She was about to complain when her face lit up and a long "_Oooooooooooh_", escaped her lips. She smiled and chuckled discreetly behind her hand.

'It _is_ funny,' she said.

Andromeda could not help the grin that tucked at her lips.

oooOOOooo

When Andromeda, Bellatrix, Narcissa and Sophie came back from the Great Hall, the Slytherin Common Room was filled to the brim with older students passionately promulgating their point of views on the new Headmaster. Some even got into heated arguments about whether or not half-breeds and squibs should be allowed positions at Hogwarts. The loudest of them all was Valentine Pyrites, a seventh year.

'Have you seen the little goblin chap? He's so small I'm not even sure he can hold his wand! And Dumbledore thinks that thing is going to teach us Charms?' Valentine was saying. 'Well I bloody don't! Goblins have no place teaching at Hogwarts! It's humiliating!' A few students voiced their approval, others contented themselves with nods of agreement. 'Besides, goblin magic is completely different from wizard magic. So what can he teach us? It's all bollocks, I'm telling you!'

More vivid nods of approval.

From the entrance door, Andromeda sighed. Late night Common Room politics gave her headaches. She swirled towards her dormitory, throwing out a lazy, 'I'm going to bed.'

Bellatrix grabbed her arm before she could even take a step. 'Don't you want to hear what he has to say?' she asked.

Andromeda gazed at her sister, ill at ease. Bellatrix's eyes were so black they did not reflect the fleeting green hue of the Common Room. Instead, they looked focused and determined. Andromeda could almost see the whirlwind of thoughts and ideas stirring inside her brain. Gently, she slipped free of her grip.

'Not really, no,' she answered carefully. 'But you stay if you want to.'

Bellatrix loomed closer. 'You should care more about these things, Andy. They affect you more than you seem to realise.'

Andromeda clenched her jaws and straightened her back. 'I know what affects me, Bella, but Valentine is not exactly the kind of reference I feel bound to listen to.'

Bellatrix raised her chin and while her skin looked very pale against the Common Room's green light, the shadows on her face became more pronounced and she reminded Andromeda of a skull. 'Valentine Pyrites? No. But he is only repeating the words of his father.'

'So what? The Pyrites family is not even close to being Sacred Twenty-Eight.'

Silence followed her statement, and while Bellatrix glared at her, Andromeda started looking around the Common Room. 'Where's Sophie?' she asked a moment later. The girl usually stuck to Bellatrix like a shadow, but Andromeda did not remember seeing her since they had left the Great Hall.

'In the owlery,' replied her sister.

'At his hour? Why?'

'She and Theo Travers slept together at Liantris's party. I think they're dating now. She said she had to send him a letter.'

'I knew it!'

'Don't change the subject,' snapped Bellatrix, regaining her glare. 'You should feel more concerned about all of this!'

'This?'

'Dumbledore and the half-breeds and all that,' groaned Bellatrix, frustrated.

Andromeda rolled her eyes. 'Well of course I am not particularly thrilled at the idea of being taught by a goblin, Bella, but don't expect me to go and throw a wobbler about it!' A dark look glistened in Bellatrix's eyes and she inhaled, mustering her words for a retort which Andromeda cut short. 'Oh, please, Bella! Flitwick is going to teach us whether we want it or not and Hagrid has already been working as Assistant Gamekeeper for decades! So unless you plan on overthrowing Dumbledore from the inside, there is absolutely no point in fussing over the matter. And I don't have the energy for it.'

Bellatrix crossed her arms over her chest and put her weight on one hip. 'Maybe I _could_ overthrow Dumbledore from the inside…' she said thoughtfully.

Andromeda passed an agitated hand in her hair. 'Then leave me out of it until you've succeeded.'

Bellatrix paused for a second, and then cackled amusedly. 'Spoken like a true Slytherin…'. As quickly as she had shed it, she regained a serious expression. 'I should start planning now. Valentine will certainly want to be part of it…'

Andromeda gulped uneasily and passed a hand in her hair once more. 'Bellatrix,' she called softly. 'Let's think about this tomorrow. We only just got back, we're all tired from the train ride and full from the feast… We can't think straight in those conditions, can we?'

Bellatrix eyed Andromeda silently for what felt like a very long time, and Andromeda was forcing herself not to fidget nervously under her gaze. Thankfully, she had become an expert at moulding her face into a disinterested expression. Finally, Bellatrix shrugged and looked away.

'Fine,' she said. She turned around towards Valentine – and Andromeda seized the opportunity to release an unnoticed sigh of relief.

'I think I'm going to have a talk with him,' Bellatrix said.

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. 'Why?'

'Because I want to,' replied Bellatrix, leaving Andromeda behind to head towards her classmate.

Andromeda let out a long sigh. She felt drained and uneasy. She hated arguing with Bellatrix, particularly when the two did not reach a point of agreement. Because the reality was that Andromeda did not mind all the changes that Dumbledore had brought to Hogwarts with the intensity that she felt she should. The Hogwarts Board of Directors, the anonymous witnesses in the Daily Prophet, Valentine and even Bella… All were so riled up with the situation that Andromeda almost wondered whether she was missing something.

'Won't it be hard for Sophie? Dating an older boy when she's still at Hogwarts.'

Andromeda jumped back and nearly hit the back of her head against the Common Room's wall. With a hand on her heart she turned around and looked down at the source of her agitation: Narcissa.

'You startled me!'

Narcissa looked perfectly unaffected. 'I didn't mean to,' she said simply, throwing her luxurious golden hair behind her shoulder with an elegant flick of the hand.

Andromeda squinted down at her sister. 'Were you eavesdropping on us?'

Narcissa frowned and crossed her arms, seething. 'I was not eavesdropping,' she said. 'I was standing right here from the beginning but you two were too busy fighting to pay me any attention!'

Andromeda raised her eyebrows and for half a second, remained taken aback. Slowly she leaned backwards. 'Sorry. I didn't mean to exclude you.'

Narcissa huffed and looked away. 'Yes… You never mean to.'

Andromeda bit her lip. 'I mean it, Cissy. Don't get angry.'

Narcissa threw her a dark glare. 'I get angry if I want to!' she hissed. 'Besides, you still haven't answered my question.'

Andromeda passed a hand in her hair. 'Sophie's a big girl, Cissy. I'm sure she – they will find a way to make it work somehow.'

Narcissa gazed pensively across the Common Room. 'Don't you think that maybe she's only interested in him because he's Sacred Twenty-Eight? She needs to regain her family's fortune, after all, and a good marriage would certainly help.'

Andromeda felt a shiver up her spine. 'Sophie wouldn't marry someone just for their money,' she said. 'Besides, we're too young to think about marriage yet.'

Inwardly, however, she wondered whether Narcissa could be right. It was almost scary how perceptive her little sister could be. Andromeda wished she was not: life was always brightest in the eyes of the ignorant.

Narcissa shrugged and yawned loudly before clapping her hand over her mouth, remembering her manners. Andromeda smiled softly and pulled her into her arms, caressing gently her sister's golden curls. Narcissa relaxed in the embrace.

'Let's go to sleep, Cissy.'

The girls did not immediately break away from each other but they did find themselves in their respective dormitories by the time the Common Room had cleared out.

Rolled up under the covers of her bed, Andromeda found it hard to fall asleep. She was bothered by the virulent reaction to the changes in Hogwarts personnel. She was bothered by Sophie's situation and the length to which she could go to escape it. She was bothered because it seemed like Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange both were pushing people to start acting on their anger, and she feared that this would result in blood being spilled. She was bothered because she did not want to imagine that blood was what her sister wanted.

_Oh well_, she thought to herself. _Maybe I worry too much…_


	3. Fateful Encounter

**CHAPTER 3  
Fateful Encounter**

* * *

Andromeda Black was easily bored, and it had come to her attention that maybe this inclination towards melancholy stemmed from her soul-sucking lack of passion. Certainly enough, Andromeda had not been gifted at birth with the fiery temper which fuelled her older sister Bellatrix's every waking moment. Nor had she found in herself the unshakable resolve and unflinching stubbornness that had never been better displayed than by her little sister Narcissa. In comparison, Andromeda would have been as boring as she was bored if did not emanate from her a certain aura of aloofness, an air of quiet disdain, a snippet of self-perceived superiority which, to the casual observer, put her on equal footing with her siblings' brand of extravagance.

With that in mind, for all five years Andromeda had attended Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, never had she enjoyed a class of History of Magic quite as much as she did on the tenth day of term. Naturally, the fun had nothing to do with the class itself, if only that it provided sufficient background noise to make Andromeda and her friend Joycelin Moor feel secretive in their paradoxically loud endeavours. It had started as a bored scribble on a piece of parchment but writing their classmates' names in Gobbledegook — the Goblins' tongue — had soon turned into a surprisingly hilarious game. Though the entertainment it brought them was surely magnified by the utter boredom Professor Binns had a talent of emitting with every word escaping his ethereal lips, the girls were no less distracted, and they revelled in such mischief.

Professor Binns himself seemed unmoved by the loud giggles echoing at the back of the class, too focused on his own lecture about the role of wizards in muggle warfare. The rest of the students, however, was far from being quite as oblivious. Used to the sleepy atmosphere associated to Binns's classroom, the barely contained laughter and loud whispering to which they were now submitted, and the fact that the famously quiet Andromeda Black and her friend were the source of it, was sufficiently unfamiliar to tinkle their curiosity.

The two girls, however, remained unaffected.

Joy, for one, leaned back on her chair to take a better look at the list of names scribbled on the parchment. 'Who are we missing?' she asked.

Andromeda took a look around. They were mixed up with the Hufflepuffs for this class, and although she knew every Slytherin currently at Hogwarts, her knowledge of the Hufflepuff House was, to say the least, minimal.

'That blonde girl, in the front row,' she said at last, almost certain they hadn't yet written her down. 'What's her name?'

She exchanged a look with Joy, and saw it was blank on both parts. A second later, the two were shaking in muffled laughter; there was something funny, indeed, in ignoring the name of a person with whom you had shared a castle for five years. Still smiling, Joy leaned over her desk to poke the back of the blond boy sitting in front of her. Curtis Delaney turned around.

'What again?' he grumbled, though Andromeda knew, if the slight curving of his lips and the twinkle in his eyes was anything to go by, that he wasn't the least bit annoyed.

'What's that girl's name?' she asked, pointing at the lady in question.

Curtis squirmed in his seat to get a better look and frowned. 'Err…' he started. 'Isn't that Deborah Leeswood?'

Joy smirked. 'Don't ask us,' she said. 'I'm not sure I've ever heard her name before.'

'I think she's a mudblood,' announced Curtis as if to put Joy's mind at ease.

Andromeda frowned. Curtis had no business going around, accusing people of being mudbloods when he himself had a muggle parent. Such vanity was, in part, why Andromeda had started to distance herself from him last year. As she frowned, she thought Curtis might have sensed her disapproval, because his gaze swapped to her just then. She met it with unwavering eyes. He sulked and looked away until both were distracted by Joy's voice.

'Deborah it is!' said the girl, oblivious to her friends' silent exchange. 'So how do you write the "de" sound in Gobbledegook?'

Andromeda smiled. Ancient Runes was not one of the classes in which Joy paid attention. 'You've asked five times already,' she complained light-heartedly. 'It's the one you always stumble on.'

Joy bit her lip, a habit Andromeda had adopted after years spent together. 'Is it?'

Andromeda sighed but her smile betrayed her hilarity. 'It has no equivalent. We have to change it to "the".'

The girls looked at each other and lost themselves in a fit of giggles. '_The Borah?_' laughed Joy.

Andromeda looked at the parchment and laughed harder still. 'No look,' she said. 'It's "_The bore._"'

And so they cackled, until class ended.

'Hey!' Curtis called out when Andromeda and Joy seemed not to have realised that Professor Binns had finally set them free. 'Aren't you coming?'

'Did he give homework?' asked Andromeda, hurrying to shove her books and parchments inside her bag.

'Yes.'

'What?'

Curtis hesitated before answering. 'I'll let you copy mine if you help me with Astronomy.'

'No problem,' answered Andromeda. She had always considered Astronomy her class of predilection anyway. 'Cheers, Curtis. Now let's go before he comes out of the wall again'. And with that said, they left.

Or at least, attempted to leave because right before reaching the door, Andromeda collided loudly with a pair of broad shoulders. Stumbling backwards, she would have fallen on her bottom if not for Joy who caught her just in time. Now slightly wobbly, she looked up to find the person to whom belonged the shoulders and was instantly met with a pair of kind, hazel eyes.

'I'm so sorry!' exclaimed the pair's owner. 'My friend pushed me and I lost my balance!'

His apology was met with a frown. Not that Andromeda was angry; she was rather more confused and unfocused (had she hit a bone or was his back that firm?). Standing straighter, she took a second to look at him better. He wasn't much taller than her, but sturdy. His face was square, with strong jaws and short sandy blond hair. He was not drop-dead gorgeous like Liantris but definitely had an attractive boyish charm about him that made Andromeda realise she knew him. He was Ted Tonks.

Ted Tonks's existence had come to her attention in fourth year, when, being the newly appointed beater for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team, he had received a bludger to the arm and proceeded to fall from his broom and onto this same arm, as if to make sure that it would indeed break. And it broke. And it broke again a week after Madam Nightingale had fixed it, this time, rumour had it, from an accident in Defence Against the Dark Arts class. He was advised to never risk Quidditch again and had kept away from it ever since. And ever since, he had become one of maybe five faces outside of the Slytherin House to which Andromeda could assign a name. He could not be aware of it, of course — for Andromeda had neither cause nor want to let him know, but she thought he, muggle-born that he was, should nonetheless consider it an honour.

Point being, when she came to her senses and found herself looking straight into the boy's kind, hazel eyes, she knew exactly who he was and whatever embarrassment she felt turned into mortification. Too shaken to properly turn his guilt against him and squash him down into the deepest pits of humiliation, she could only shake her head, and say 'It's fine,' in a slightly annoyed voice. 'You didn't do it on purpose.'

Tonks froze. Eyebrows raised, he looked at her for one endless second with a mix of surprise and curiosity before giving her a big, honest smile that dug long dimples into his face and brightened his eyes.

'You're not mad at me?' he asked, blushing.

_Blushing?_ Why was he blushing?

'Of course not,' replied Andromeda, confused. 'It was an accident, wasn't it?'

'It was!' he exclaimed.

There was a second of silence during which they stared at each other and Andromeda found herself at a loss for words. Eventually, Tonks's gleeful smile turned into an embarrassed one and he started scratching the back of his neck.

'Sorry,' he repeated.

Andromeda only raised an eyebrow.

'Come on, Ted, let's go,' said another Hufflepuff, grabbing Tonks by the arm and leading him outside the classroom in rushed steps.

Andromeda would not have minded if he had waited for her to leave the room first after having inquired further on her well-being. She felt it was what decency required. However, him being a muggle-born, she decided to forgive his lack of manners and rather blame it on his unfortunate education. Her friends weren't quite so merciful.

'You let him off easy,' growled Curtis. 'He bumps into you, barely apologises and then leaves in a heartbeat. Filthy _mudblood_. If it was me that he'd thrown to the ground…'

'Curtis,' interrupted Andromeda, not in the mood to listen to his disproportionate anger. 'Let's not make this bigger than it deserves. It's as you said, isn't it? He's muggle-born.'

'He shouldn't even be in this school.'

Andromeda shifted on her feet to glare at him. 'That is not for you to decide, Curtis. And you are in no position to give lectures about blood purity anyway.' On these words, she left.

Curtis had a tendency of getting on her nerves without even trying. She would never have said those words before, not to anyone, but every passing day found him, a half-blood, giving more passionate speeches about blood purity than any pure-blood Andromeda knew. It was ridiculous, frivolous and, in her opinion, somewhat offensive. He had no idea what he was talking about yet enjoyed shouting out on every rooftop his baseless opinions and radical points of view.

She was even angrier that he had made her snap at him in front of a crowd. There were still quite a few students near the door when she'd left and she knew for a fact that everything she and her sisters said toured the school twice before being allowed to fade into oblivion, if it ever was.

Andromeda slowed her pace as the loud echo of hurried footsteps suggested that Joy had caught up with her.

'I think you've offended him', said her friend carefully.

'Who?'

'Oh, don't pretend! Curtis, of course!'

'Merlin's pants, what should I do?' snarled Andromeda before reminding herself that sarcasm never rhymed with appeasement. As she dared a glance towards Joy, she thought the disapproving huff she received only confirmed that such truth was still of actuality.

'Andromeda,' called Joy, clearly unhappy. 'This is not a joke. It's not his fault that he is a half-blood. Not everyone comes from a family as old as the Blacks.'

That had Andromeda come to a stop. Slowly, she turned on her heel to face Joy and plunge her eyes into her friend's. Andromeda knew Joy was not simply defending Curtis, but also herself: the Moor family had, in recent years, gained the reputation of being pure of blood, but families' like the Blacks and the Sacred Twenty-Eight would never consider them their equal. Andromeda could understand her friend's unease, but she had little patience for self-pity.

'He thinks hating on those lesser than him will make him somehow more respectable than what he was born as,' she articulated, 'but he is wrong. It only makes him more pathetic.'

Joy sighed, adverting her gaze. 'You're right,' she said in an almost-whisper. 'As always.'

Andromeda stood straighter and threw her hair back. She walked away once more, Joy on her heel.

That evening, when Joy and Andromeda entered the Slytherin Common Room, Curtis walked up to them.

'Hey, look,' he started, his face red with embarrassment. 'I'm sorry for earlier…'

'Don't worry about it,' interrupted Andromeda. She had said it with a smile that put him at ease because, truth was, she wasn't comfortable with making a big deal out of ridiculous incidents. 'You didn't do anything.' Relief clearly blew the red away from Curtis' cheeks and Andromeda repressed a sigh of her own, glad to have escaped unnecessarily cheesy apologies.

By her shoulder, Joy clapped her hands happily. 'Oh, I'm so happy you two have made up!' she exclaimed. 'I need to go to the bathroom, but let's play Gobstones when I come back!'

Andromeda watched her trot away. Then, ignoring Curtis who was just awkwardly standing there, she trailed lazily to the nearest armchair and fell in it with a groan. She felt exhausted, all of a sudden, but just as she was starting to doze off, a heavy weight befell upon her, squishing her insides.

'Bellatrix!' she growled before even opening her eyes. 'There are so many empty seats in the room right now!'

But Bellatrix was already making herself as comfortable as possible when lying with her sister in an armchair meant for one person to sit. Somehow, she managed to rest by Andromeda's side without falling off or chocking her. Bellatrix had always been good at miracles.

'Why use up more armchairs when we can share one, Andy…'

'Because we can't share?' answered Andromeda.

'We're doing fine right now,' replied Bellatrix with a wolfish grin.

'Are we? Because as much as I love you, I think we're just a little too close and you're definitely encroaching on my personal space.'

'Nah, I'm fine.'

'Oh, then. What a relief.'

'Anyway, how was your day?'

'Hunky-dory…'

'Okay.'

Glancing at her sister, Andromeda sighed. She understood at once where this whole conversation was meant to go and resigned herself to it immediately. 'How was _your_ day, Bella?'

Bellatrix's face illuminated. 'You wouldn't believe! It was exhausting! I had Transfiguration, then I had Defence, then I had Herbology, then I had Divination, then I had Potion and I ended with History of Magic! Andy, if I do not find a way to kill this ghost, I think I will be the one dead before the end of the year because he just has a way of sucking the life out of me!'

'Well that's news…'

'Andromeda. This is no joke.'

Andromeda laughed lightly. 'I don't know what Dumbledore's doing. Binns should have been replaced years ago. Although I had the fun of my life in History of Magic, this morning.'

Bellatrix frowned. 'This sentence makes no sense,' she said matter-of-factly.

'Listen,' chuckled Andromeda. 'Joy and I just wrote the names of all our classmates, in Gobbledegook. It was surprisingly very funny.'

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow and planted her eyes in her sister's. 'I fear Professor Binns has already managed to scramble your brains,' she said gravely.

Andromeda burst into a fit of laughter and Bellatrix gladly joined in. What a strange sight it must have been, thought Andromeda. Those two sisters, usually so cold and distant, flocked against each other on a small armchair with their legs dangling over the arm, talking to each other in low voices and laughing loudly enough to turn all eyes to them. Had she been with anyone else, Andromeda would have been embarrassed. But not with Bellatrix. Such was the strength of the Black sisters. Such was their charm. Individually, they were unattainable. Together, they were a magnet to everyone and anyone with eyes and ears.

They stayed up till late, not leaving their armchair. They were so entranced in their conversation Andromeda did not even notice Joy come back from the bathroom, take one step towards her only to stop at the sight of Bellatrix, and plod towards Curtis instead. Naturally, it took another Black to burst the girls' bubble.

Narcissa arrived much like Bellatrix had, sitting down on her sisters' bellies.

'Cissy!' complained Andromeda.

'Do you _want_ to die?' threatened Bellatrix.

'Make me some space!' ordered Narcissa.

Obviously, there was no more space to be made so the sisters moved over to a couch near the fireplace. There were a couple of students already occupying the location but they left as soon as they saw them approaching. Andromeda would have felt guiltier but she really wanted that couch. Besides, it had been so easy, so no harm done, really!

Bellatrix sunk into the sofa with her legs on the table facing it and both Cissy and Andy laid next to her.

'So, how's third year so far, Cissy?' asked Bellatrix with a yawn.

'Nothing special,' answered the youngest matter-of-factly.

That made Andromeda frown. She was certain that a few months back, Narcissa would have been overly excited to tell them all about her day. Her babbling would have been unstoppable and every incident, no matter how insignificant, would have been told in utmost detail. These days however, Cissy tried to be appear mature and distant. She was not a child anymore, or so she wanted others to believe.

'But I had my first class of Divination today,' she continued, and this time, Andromeda saw like a twinkle in her sister's blue eyes.

'How was it?' she asked.

'Hilarious,' answered Narcissa with a bright smile. 'First day and she had us read teacups! Everyone started inventing the craziest stories and Professor Delph just didn't know how to stop us. You should've seen her face, it was the best!'

The girls chuckled. Ever since Bellatrix had taken Divination in third year, the three of them had had the most fun mocking it.

'So, when are we going to Hogsmeade?' asked Narcissa once they had calmed down.

Andromeda sighed. 'The first outing is either on the last weekend of September, or first weekend of October.'

Narcissa grimaced and cuddled closer to her sister. 'I can't wait for it...' she moaned.

'But you've already been to Hogsmeade,' Bellatrix reminded her.

'Once when I was a baby!'

'You were nine.'

'Same thing! It was a long time ago. I want to go with you, not mother and Aunt Walburga…'

A shiver passed through all of them at the mention of Aunt Walburga. Nobody liked Aunt Walburga. Not even their mother, Druella, who looked considerably younger with her own siblings. Not even their father or Uncle Alphard who could never laugh nor smile in her presence. Not even her sons, Sirius and Regulus who were terrified of her. As of her husband Orion, he seemed not to be right in the head and his feelings were always unclear, but Andromeda suspected he did not care for her either. Andromeda even wondered whether Aunt Walburga liked Aunt Walburga.

'Well, this time, Cissy, you'll go with us and we're going to have the time of our lives,' promised Bellatrix.

Narcissa smiled and so did Andromeda, both trusting their sister.

They fell into comfortable silence until Narcissa spoke again.

'By the way,' she said matter-of-factly, 'I forgot my Astronomy book back home and I absolutely need it for tomorrow morning…'

'_Cissy!_'

oooOOOooo

The morning was chilly. Autumn had not yet befallen upon Hogwarts, but the swift breeze of dawn slipping through the old castle's windows slid impishly in the openings of Andromeda's summer school robes. Shivering as she turned a corner, she tightened the cotton shawl wrapped around her shoulders and pushed open a door. The fresh Scottish air filled her lungs, tinged with the smell of wet grass and moist earth. Outside, the sky was a light, soft grey. Heavy clouds lazed peacefully above the ground, low, unaware of their menacing stance. Birds chipped and trilled and croaked in the distance. Sometimes not that distant. Up in the trees they hid, invisible if not for the movement of high branches up where no human could bother them. Those in the sky, gliding freely, cared little whether they were seen or not. As they flew, up there, they were unreachable. Even the angry stridulations of the morning crickets left them unfazed.

Andromeda closed her eyes and took a deep breath, filling her all with the peacefulness of the world around her. She had never been one to wake up early — that was Bellatrix — and could only remember so many sunrises. She promised herself not to perpetuate that mistake in the future. How could she when she always complained of how crowded and noisy Hogwarts was? How could she when she had been telling herself that she was tiring of her eyes landing on the same familiar landscapes wherever she looked?

She had been annoyed at first when Narcissa had begged her to retrieve her book from the Owlery the night before. She had been annoyed but now, as she took her time walking across Hogwarts' grounds up to the Owlery, thankful thoughts from her heart went to her little sister. Narcissa could be a real sunshine in her loved ones' lives.

Andromeda reached the Owlery with a peaceful mind and a tired body; she was not used to physical exercise such as the most horrible activity of walking. Cheeks red, legs dragging, she entered panting in the realm of the owls. Soon, countless wide eyes, shining of reds and yellows, had landed on her. She did not squirm under their intensity. She did not mind the stares of those birds. Owls were her favourite animals. Beautiful, intelligent, proud animals, they were, and she had rarely been happier than the day she had acquired her own; Nebula.

Familiar with the little room up the tower, Andromeda was by Nebula's side in a matter of seconds. The long-eared owl welcomed her mistress with a cheerful chirp, but no nudging, no nuzzling and certainly no snuggling. Nebula had grown to become very much like Andromeda, extracting a knowing smile from the witch.

'You're not hunting, I see', she pointed out, letting the tips of her fingers caress lightly the soft plumage of the owl who blinked, tilted her head, and remained silent. 'I also see you've gotten used to a certain lifestyle, Nebula. That's not good. I don't need another Narcissa in my life,' continued Andromeda, smiling fondly. 'You have to learn to take care of yourself.'

Nebula remained unresponsive, besides the occasional flapping and head-tilting, but Andromeda did not mind. She remained tending to her friend for another few minutes before finally finding the strength to let her go and start taking care of the business for which she had come in the first place. Fondling impatiently on another side of the Owlery was a large barn owl. In her sizeable talons, she held a heavy-looking package that could explain her grumpy attitude. The barn owl belonged to Andromeda's mother, Druella.

Druella rarely used her own owl to carry her letters, stopped by some incomprehensible pride as she claimed that other owls, less noble and less beautiful than her Otta, could take care of the deliveries. This particular one, however, had been an emergency and no other animal would have been fast or strong enough to carry Narcissa's Astronomy book over from Black Manor to Hogwarts in a day only.

Andromeda was certain that her mother, much like herself, did not believe Narcissa's claim to have forgotten her book at home. Her sister had always had a unique sense of priorities. The thought brought a smile to Andromeda's lips as she fumbled with the threads securing the package around Otta's talons.

A smile that was soon lost when acute pain from her fingertip sent tremors all along her arm. Subconsciously, she snatched her hand away from the fidgeting barn owl and shot her a shocked glare. A new wave of wincing pain turned her attention back to her fingers and she let a gasp escape her lips. Blood was flowing out of a deep cut on her index. Yet more than the wound, the amount of blood she was seeing cut Andromeda's breath short. The red liquid, warm against her skin, leaked from the open cut, trickling down her creased skin, curling around the curves of her finger with slow, heavy movements… As if it had a mind of its own…

Rattled by the sight of her bloodied flesh, she did not hear the footsteps behind her back. Nor did she hear their sudden stop when she came into sight of the person to whom they belonged. Nor did she hear them start again, more rushed this time, and heading in her direction. And so she jumped when she felt a large but soft hand fall on her shoulder.

Taking several steps back, she bumped against a wall behind her, colliding with a few owls in the process, then pulled out from the wall and, still holding her hand like her life depended on it, shot an icy stare at the stranger who had dared sneak up on her. Her stare, however, melted fast into raw, honest surprise. Andromeda's eye widened.

'Tonks?'

The boy standing before her sure seemed like an apparition. He was still the same bulky, sturdy, square-jawed Hufflepuff she had talked to for the first time a couple of days earlier, and his wearing blue jeans and a mulberry flannel shirt, although offensively muggle, hardly made for a radical change in appearance, and yet… She could simply not process his presence here, as if she had never fathomed encountering him somewhere other than a classroom. Puzzled as she was, she barely noticed him taking a few steps in her direction. By reflex, she stepped back. Tonks seemed unfazed by her reticence.

'Are you hurt?' he asked, his eyebrows frowned in concern and his hazel eyes shining with unhidden worry.

As if a spectator to her own body, Andromeda saw herself shake her head. Tonks gave her a long questioning look before slowly shifting his gaze to her bloodied hand. It took all of Andromeda's willpower to stop herself from hiding it behind her back. Tonks must have confused her tremor of hesitation for a quiver of contained pain. In a second, he was by her side.

'What —?' she exclaimed.

He gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist and with his other hand, started waving a plaster before her flummoxed eyes.

'It's all right,' he said in a soothing voice once certain she was not going to push him away. 'I'm just going to put that on your finger to stop the bleeding and make sure you get nothing dangerous in the cut. You don't want to get it infected. But you must get it cleaned as soon as you find water. Or better, alcohol. Though I don't suppose there is much of it at Hogwarts.'

'Or I could go to Madame Pomfrey…' suggested Andromeda in a thin voice.

'Oh, that too.'

She threw him a look that she meant to be judging but turned out more questioning than anything. Tonks had just finished applying the plaster on her cut and was now looking pensively at his handiwork, not realizing how uncomfortably close to her he was standing. Coughing, she stepped away. Tonks opened wide eyes as he took notice of the unease and started scratching the back of his neck.

'Sorry,' he mumbled.

Andromeda looked away. 'It's okay,' she said. 'Actually… thank you.'

He gifted her with a big, boyish grin which managed to make her even more uneasy than before. He was muggle-born. This was wrong.

Lowering her gaze to the floor, she released a long sigh. The morning had started so perfectly…

'Are you all right?' Tonks's voice suddenly pulled her out of her reverie. 'You look very pale.'

She rolled her eyes. 'I always do, it's my natural skin tone…'

'If you say so…,' he replied dubiously. 'How did you hurt yourself anyway?'

'I'm not sure. One second I was taking a package from that owl,' she said, pointing an accusing finger towards the still fumbling animal, 'and the next I was bleeding the entire River Styx.'

Tonks chuckled. 'Maybe not the entire River Styx…'

'It sure looked like it.'

'But why would the owl want to cut you off a finger?'

'I don't know, it's my mother's,' she replied nonchalantly. 'And here I thought I was her favourite.'

That was a joke, of course. Her mother's favourite was Narcissa.

She did not notice Tonks gulp uneasily and thoughts of her mother and Narcissa reminded her of the package. Andromeda started looking around on the ground.

'What are you…?'

'I'm looking for a package. Rectangular. It's a book.'

Tonks nodded and started looking too. He found it in a matter of seconds and handed it out to her, eyes locked on the wound on her finger as if scared it might explode in a mighty spurt of blood. The idea nearly brought a smile to Andromeda's face, but she refrained.

'Thank you,' she said. 'And you don't have to worry about my finger anymore. I'm fine.'

Tonks gave her an apologetic grin. 'Sorry. It's just… I was surprised earlier.'

'So was I. I panicked, as if I'd never seen blood before. I don't know what came over me,' she added quietly, more to herself than anyone else.

'It happens sometimes. Owls can be unpredictable creatures.'

'But owls aren't usually aggressive. Although this one had every reason to be moody, it's true.'

'You seem to like them. Owls, I mean.'

'Who doesn't?'

'I know a few.'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. 'Really?'

'Yes, ma'am.'

'I do hope they aren't your friends,' she snarled, smiling cheekily.

It was the new kind of light shining in his eyes that reminded her how wrong this entire situation was. Despite herself she stiffened and froze. Could she talk to this muggle-born like that? What was wrong with her? Smiling at him? He would get all the wrong ideas and people would start talking. She had always been so careful…

'In any case,' she snapped before he could answer. 'I have things to do.'

She had barely taken a step towards the door that Tonks stopped her.

'Wait,' he said.

'Look, I — '

'Are you not going to let the owl out?' he asked, ignoring her annoyed glare.

'What do you mean?' inquired Andromeda turning to look in the direction he was pointing. Her eyes fell upon Otta who seemed very unhappy as she flapped her wings aggressively. 'But she isn't tied…'

'Actually I think the thread is stuck to that hole on the wall there…' said Tonks, moving to free it.

Andromeda took a step in his direction.

'Careful,' she said. 'She's not in her best mood.'

Tonks smiled and nodded but managed to release the owl without hurt. Otta left in a flap of wings and an angry cry, leaving Tonks quite perplexed.

'I have never seen an owl that temperamental.'

'She's not used to flying such long distances with a package so heavy,' intervened Andromeda protectively.

'Looks like you've forgiven her already,' noted Tonks with a smile.

'I never really blamed her in the first place,' she replied, frowning.

Tonks whistled appreciatively. 'I wouldn't be so tolerant.'

Andromeda's mocking snort sounded more like a chuckle. 'And they say Slytherins are the bad guys...'

Tonks's eyes lit again as he opened his mouth for a retort but the sound of distant laughter cut him short.

'Already?' he said. 'What time is it?' he added for himself checking the watch on his wrist.

He looked up to give the hour but stopped himself when he noticed Andromeda. She had frozen, stiffer than ever, and was now throwing panicked glances alternatively at him and at the door from which direction they had heard the future newcomers. What would she do if they found her with him? What would she do if they found them talking?

Tonks took a step in her direction and her mind cleared. She turned away from him and walked across the Owlery to Nebula. When the students came, she appeared busy tending to her owl while Tonks stood aimlessly on the other side. She waited a few seconds before finally leaving in poised strides, her posture impeccable, her face unreadable and her reputation intact.

She only allowed herself a long sigh once she was safely back inside the castle. Her reputation intact, true, but, as her eyes fell on the plaster on her finger, an uneasy sensation gnawed at her throat. Why did she have the feeling her conscience had been pocked? As if she had done something wrong?


	4. Letter of Betrayal

**CHAPTER 4  
****Letter of Betrayal**

* * *

Andromeda spent the rest of the day feeling anxious and guilty.

There existed a tacit rule in her family not to interact with muggle-borns. They were bad influences. They had no understanding of Pure-blood culture, lacked the good education of Pure-blood families and had minds corrupted by both the intolerance of muggles and the frivolity of the Ministry. Befriending a muggle-born could lead one astray. Because of this, it would always give birth to gossip which would affect negatively the family's image. Andromeda was aware of that. She had been told and repeated those facts all her life. And yet…

What worried her most was that she had not found the courage to tell Bellatrix or Narcissa about her odd encounter in the Owlery. When Bellatrix had inquired on her finger injury, she had told the truth about Otta, and because she had had time to go to Madame Pomfrey before joining her sisters for breakfast that day, she had not had to invent a story about the plaster. In short, no one knew that she had exchanged words with Ted Tonks the Muggle-born, except, hopefully, for her and Ted Tonks the Muggle-born. A week had passed, now, and she felt like a liar. She hated it, because her sisters had always been the only people in the world to whom she had never lied and never felt the need to. She knew they told her everything in return. Was she betraying them by keeping silent?

She had tried to ease her mind by telling herself that it had been nothing but an insignificant incident, that she would soon have completely forgotten about it, and that Ted Tonks would, in no time, have gone back to the distant oblivion in which he had been politely residing until a few days earlier. She should have known better. Whatever luck she had accumulated through the years was now asking for payment and asking impatiently. Wherever she laid eyes, he seemed to pop up. In the corridors? There he was, walking amongst his group of Hufflepuff friends in the opposite direction from her. In a classroom? There he was, seated at the table directly behind her. In the Great Hall? There he was, eating at the Hufflepuff table, in her unobstructed field of view. She could not ignore him and every time she caught a glimpse of him, she was reminded of her sisters.

'Andromeda Black!' yelled somebody in Andromeda's ear, making her startle and drop the book she had been reading — or rather, staring at.

She looked up and saw Joy was standing by her bed with a hand on her hip, looking rather impatient.

'Merlin, Meda,' said her friend, 'I've been calling you for ages.'

Andromeda sighed and rose into a sitting position. 'Sorry,' she said. 'I was lost in thought.'

'What were you thinking about?'

'Nothing,' replied Andromeda rather curtly. 'What do you want?'

Joy bit her lip unhappily. 'Jeez, you've been in a bad mood all week.'

'Have I?'

Joy rolled her eyes. 'I just wanted to know if you'd be coming to the Quidditch try-outs, tomorrow.'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow, but before she could say anything, a voice on the other side of the dormitory yelled: 'Please don't say no! Joy has been agonising over it all week and if she is kicked out, I'll be the only girl left on the team!'

Andromeda turned to Paloma Jones, a tall, athletic girl with black skin and blond-dyed hair. 'What do you mean "she's been agonising over it all week"?' she asked.

'Nothing,' interrupted Joy, looking very red. 'She's lying!'

Andromeda felt a knot form in her throat. 'Did you really think I wouldn't come?'

Joy bit her lip and started hugging herself, cheeks still flushed. 'Well, I don't know… it's as I said, you've been in a weird mood all week and I thought maybe you were angry at me or something…'

Andromeda stood from the bed and stepped closer to her friend. 'Of course I wasn't angry at you,' she said in a voice she hoped to be comforting. 'You didn't do anything.'

From her bed, Paloma laughed. 'I don't know,' she said, 'stupidity makes _me_ pretty angry…'

'Oh, shut up!' yelled Joy, but Andromeda could see the flicker of a smile on her lips. 'Besides, I get better grades than you!'

'That's because you're a cheater.'

'Am not!'

'Are!'

Andromeda sighed dramatically and the two girls grew silent.

'Anyway,' she said, 'I wouldn't miss your try-outs for anything Joy.'

'Really?' asked her friend, beaming.

'Of course. But that's only because I know you'll be selected. You're the best seeker in the entire school. I don't make friends with losers.'

'Oh thank you!' squealed Joy who was glowing with satisfaction. 'That's so nice of you to say!'

'Not to mention, incredibly pretentious…'

'Oh, you're just jealous because Andromeda didn't call _you_ the best chaser in the entire school, Paloma!'

Paloma rolled her eyes. 'I don't need Andromeda's approval like you do.'

Andromeda frowned. 'That's enough,' she said, grabbing Joy's arm. 'Let's go to the Common Room.'

They had only made one step towards the door when it opened and a slim, pale girl with wonky spectacles opened it and walked inside. She was so focused on her feet that she nearly walked into Andromeda.

'Careful, Annie!'

Anne Fawley froze and looked up. She met Andromeda's gaze and not even a second passed before she looked away.

'Sorry,' she said, staring at nothing in particular. 'I didn't see you there.'

'It's okay,' said Andromeda, side-stepping her.

She would have left it at that — Annie was weird and made her uncomfortable — but Paloma felt differently. 'I thought you were doing homework in the Common Room, Annie? Finished already?'

'It was too noisy and crowded, so I left.'

'Noisy? At this hour?'

'Let's see what this is about,' Andromeda said, quickly ushering Joy through the door.

As it turned out, Annie had been telling the truth. The Common Room was packed and younger students were huddled in front of the announcement board. A quick look around, however, indicated Narcissa was not amongst them. Instead, Andromeda's little sister stood proudly, or rather arrogantly, by Bellatrix's side. Bellatrix herself sat in the most comfortable armchair of the Common Room, near the glass wall that allowed to see the Black Lake. The two of them were surrounded with Bella's seventh-year friends, although Sophie was conspicuously absent.

At Andromeda's right, Joy chuckled.

'Looks like Slughorn has finally put up the schedule for the Hogsmeade weekend trips,' she said.

Andromeda nodded, her eyes still on her sisters. Joy followed her gaze and sighed.

'You want to join them?' she asked, and Andromeda did notice the drop of disappointment in her voice.

Of course she wanted to join them. Those last few days, she felt as though she had been seeing so little of them. Narcissa was not sticking to them like she used to, and Bellatrix was not as overbearing as she used to. In fact, she was more distant and distracted than Andromeda had ever seen her. Even her presence at Hogwarts was less exuberant than the school had grown accustomed to. Students still hurried away and fled her gaze when they crossed her path in the corridors, but she had not been given detention even once since the year had begun. Andromeda first thought it was an improvement. Now she worried about what it could mean. What was it that diverted her attention so completely?

'Go on then,' said Joy, taking Andromeda's silence for a positive. 'I'm going back to the dorm. I didn't feel like doing homework anyway.'

Andromeda gave an apologetic look. 'I'm sorry, Joy, it's just…'

'It's okay,' Joy cut in before leaving, not meeting her eyes as she did so.

Andromeda watched her go with an uneasy knot in her throat before mentally shrugging it off and walking over to Bellatrix.

Amongst the group surrounding her was Valentine Pyrites, who had grown significantly friendlier with her since she had decided to engage him on the first day back from the summer vacations. Previously, although her classmate, he would spend little time with the eldest sister, and would only join her court occasionally, if only to ensure his place in society. Rita Skeeter was also there, still pretending to be a pure-blood, but Andromeda knew her mother was a muggle. So did Bellatrix. She had, in fact, used that knowledge more than once to get Rita to do her bidding, namely, start or stop ostentatious rumours. Rita proved remarkably effective at that. A smile grew on Andromeda's face when she noticed another person in the group: Liantris Greengrass. He smiled back when he saw her walking towards them and waved a hand.

'Andromeda!' he called. 'Do join us, love, your absence was being felt.'

'Touching, Liantris,' answered Andromeda, rolling her eyes. She then turned her attention to Narcissa. 'Why aren't you squeaking and giggling like the other kids?' she asked.

As expected, Narcissa face contorted into a dissatisfied frown. 'Because I'm not a kid,' she groaned. 'And I'm better than that.'

'Shouldn't you be more excited?' asked Liantris. 'You're allowed to be, you know.'

Narcissa shrugged. 'We're just going to Hogsmeade,' she said. 'Wizards go there all the time. And I'd be ridiculous to just stand around the board for hours.'

Andromeda stopped herself from noting how excited Narcissa had been at the idea of going to Hogsmeade not that long ago. Her sister was standing so straight it was not only unnatural, but nearly funny. Instead, she lowered her gaze towards Bellatrix, hoping to catch her eye, but her unusually silent sister appeared transfixed by the eerily still watery world shimmering behind the Common Room's glass.

'Bellatrix?' called Andromeda.

Bellatrix did not bother to look at her. 'Yes?'

'Are you all right?'

Before she could answer, Sophie was pushing through the crowd and towards her.

'A letter for you,' she said.

Bellatrix accepted it in silence and rose from her seat, eyes locked onto the piece of parchment.

'Who is it from?' asked Rita.

Bellatrix ignored her and started walking away, until Narcissa spoke.

'Bella, where are you off to?'

'Don't you all have stuff to do?' spat Bellatrix. She then stopped, looked at the group of exited third years for a few seconds, then back at Narcissa, and added. 'By the way, Cissy, that Ravenclaw girl trailing around with you, she's a _mudblood_. I don't want to see her anywhere near you anymore.'

With that said, she walked away, trailed closely by an apologetic-looking Sophie.

Andromeda turned to look at Narcissa and saw her little sister shivering with anger. They exchanged a glance but before Andromeda could say anything, Narcissa had stomped away. Andromeda continued to watch as she gathered her friends with one single commanding word, and left the Common Room in strides, like a Queen followed by her court.

'What a temper in your family,' noted Liantris with a whistle.

Andromeda ignored him, distracted by the peculiar sight of one Rita Skeeter, chuckling on her own over a little notebook on which she was frantically scribbling something with a colourful little quill.

'What's with her?' Andromeda asked Liantris.

'If I'm not mistaken, she was the one to tell Bellatrix that the Ravenclaw girl trailing around your sister was muggle-born. She must feel very proud of herself, right now. Did you know she records every little detail about every single student in a small notepad of hers? It must be what she is doing right now, actually. This kind of situation is like Christmas for her. Family drama, secretive letters… frankly, I understand her glee.'

'There is no "family drama" happening,' said Andromeda.

Liantris chuckled. 'Whatever you say, darling.'

Andromeda rolled her eyes, but then remembered something.

'Speaking of family, your sister forgot that flask on the desk, in Potions, last week,' she said, handing over the object as she spoke.

Liantris did not bother to take his hands out of his pockets. 'What do you want me to do with this? You see Maggie more than I do.'

'We only meet in Potions class.'

'And I only see her during the holidays. Her fault for being sorted into Ravenclaw. What a weird idea.'

'I'm fairly certain she did not do it on purpose,' laughed Andromeda.

'I wouldn't be so sure,' answered Liantris in a low voice. 'In any case, Meda, have you grown tired of your friends?'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. 'What are you talking about?'

Liantris locked eyes with her and she could see by the slight frown of his brows that he was not joking around. 'Joy tells me you've been pushing her away.'

Andromeda rolled her eyes. 'Has she been whining to everyone?'

'And I noticed you don't talk with Curtis Delaney anymore.'

'That's not true.'

'I'm Head Boy. Which means I know everything about every prefect. You two are supposed to be friends, but he gives you dirty looks behind your back and you pretend not to notice when he's around,' Andromeda did not reply to that. 'So what is it?'

Andromeda looked at him, her face a mask of indifference. 'You're being nosy, and they're being paranoid.'

Liantris frowned. 'You can't push your friends away just because you have your sisters. They won't always be there, you know. Bellatrix is leaving Hogwarts at the end of the year, I remind you. And in any case, it seems to me like she has been ignoring everyone since the year has started. Including you. Only Sophie seems to be able to get to her.'

Andromeda did not reply but the murderous nature of the stare she placed upon him told it all. There was a lot she wanted to say to him in that moment, mean words more than anything, but instead, she took a deep breath, and controlled her expression. Without a word, she turned swiftly on her heel and walked away towards the dormitories.

Liantris was wrong, Bellatrix may have been more distant than usual, but not with her. And Sophie was certainly not the only person able to get to her. Andromeda was going to prove it now. She was going to get some answers and make things right again. They were the Black family, after all. They were – they had to be – perfect.

With these thoughts in mind she stopped in front of the seventh-year girl dormitories and was surprised to hear her sister's voice resounding through the door.

'… Not the point!' she was shouting.

Andromeda held her breath and stuck her ear to the door.

'… Barely know any of them, Bella…' replied the voice of Sophie.

'Your boyfriend is among them!'

'But he doesn't say anything!'

'It doesn't matter. I know what they're up to.'

'No, you don't. Lestrange barely says anything in his letters either.'

'That's why we'll be meeting in person.'

'But Bella… he could be dangerous… they…'

'Oh, don't be such a prick!' snapped Bellatrix. 'Actually, you're not even invited.'

'What?'

'Rodolphus said _I_ could come. Nothing about _you_.'

'But Bella!'

'You didn't even want to.'

Silence followed. Andromeda waited, holding her breath, until she heard stomping footsteps approaching the door and she took several steps backwards just in time to dodge an angry Sophie. The girl barely spared her a glance before walking away. Andromeda watched her curiously for a couple of seconds before turning back to the dormitory. Her heart hammering in her chest and her mind working full speed she stepped inside only to see Bellatrix sitting lazily on her bed, reading carefully the letter she had been handed over earlier. She did not appear to notice Andromeda's arrival.

Andromeda frowned. Her eyes fell on the envelope and even from a distance she thought she could distinguish the stylised "L" that made the Lestrange coat of arms.

'Is that from Rodolphus Lestrange?' she asked, surprised even at herself that her tone was blank, and not accusatory.

Bellatrix jumped on her bed and Andromeda saw her hand reach for her wand. When the elder's black eyes found her sister's, she froze, though only for a second, before throwing her a murderous look.

'Don't you dare sneak up on me again!'

'You've been exchanging letters?' Andromeda continued, unperturbed.

'Get out of here!' yelled Bellatrix suddenly.

But Andromeda was used to her sister's sudden mood swings and fiery temperament and though she was scared, indeed, and goosebumps erupted along her arms, she stood her ground.

'Why are you so secretive?' she persisted. 'Why did Sophie say he could be dangerous?'

Bellatrix picked up a pillow and threw it at Andromeda's face. She dodged it steadily.

'JUST ANSWER ME!' she shouted in turn.

'DON'T YOU EVER EAVESDROP ON ME AGAIN!' barked Bellatrix.

'THEN TELL ME WHAT'S GOING ON!'

'IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!'

Andromeda froze and did not reply. Now up on her feet and angrily gesticulating, Bellatrix seemed to notice her sister's sudden stillness and gazed at her suspiciously.

'What?' she spat.

_I've been agonising over not having told you about a stupid, little conversation I had with a mudblood once, feeling guilty because I thought we always told each other everything, but here you have been, hiding something from me since the party at Liantris' house, and you don't even pretend to feel the tiniest bit of remorse about it!_, thought Andromeda angrily.

Instead, once her breathing had calmed and the flush on her face had died, she shrugged nonchalantly.

'Nothing,' she said, her tone empty. 'I'm sorry for eavesdropping.'

Bellatrix frowned even harder, clenching her teeth. 'Andromeda…' she started threateningly, but Andromeda had already left.

She closed the door behind her and stormed through the corridor. She never stopped inside the Common Room and ignored the few faceless voices that tried to catch her attention. She went past the sliding wall and continued to walk, letting her feet guide her.

Her mind was a tempest behind the wall she had created for herself. But that beyond was hidden away, and for now, she felt empty. She had no idea where she was going, she was just running away. The stone walls all looked the same, and she focused only on what was right in front of her, barely blinking. Her heart beat madly in her heart, and the blood hammered at her temples. The headache was nearly unbearable; she ignored it.

At some point, she found herself bawling her eyes out under a tree, outside on the grounds. In the distance, a bird chirped. Andromeda looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of it. Instead, her eyes found a black crow, soaring between the tall trees. A deafeningly loud croak covered the tiny chirp. Andromeda put a fist in her mouth to muffle the sounds and cried harder.

**oooOOOooo**

Andromeda heard the door open and froze in her bed. A ray of green light from the corridors broke through the darkness. Little pieces of dust, like fairies, danced inside the beam. For a few long seconds, they were the only moving things in the overbearing quiet of the night. Yet when the intruder finally took a step forward, Andromeda wished the stillness had remained. Her chest constricted and she closed her eyes. She would recognise the sound of those footsteps anywhere.

She sensed her presence above her before she felt her weight on the bed, at her back. She was trying hard to breathe as would a sleeper, but her entire body was strained and tense. When a cold finger carefully caressed her hair, she shivered.

'I know you're awake,' came the low, hushed voice of Bellatrix.

Andromeda hesitated, made to turn around, then changed her mind. She opened her eyes but otherwise remained still.

'What do you want?' she whispered in turn, her voice devoid of emotion.

'I want us to make up,' answered Bellatrix, her voice surprisingly soft. 'I was in a bad mood, earlier.'

A knot formed in Andromeda's throat. She remained silent. Behind her, she heard Bellatrix sigh, and before she could do anything, her sister leaned over her, planting her face inches from Andromeda who found herself trapped under her weight. Their eyes met and Andromeda refused to look away. Bellatrix's dark irises had a green glow to them, from the corridor's light. They were searching.

'You're still angry?' She asked, though it did not sound like a question.

Andromeda took her time to answer. 'No,' she said finally. 'Are you?'

Bellatrix smiled. 'I told you I came to make up.'

Andromeda kept her lips tight.

'Don't be like this, Andy.'

'Like what?'

Bellatrix glared at her and for a second, Andromeda was scared. Then, her older sister looked away, mumbled something, and kicked her shoes from her feet. Not asking for Andromeda's opinion, she snuggled onto the bed and under the covers. Andromeda let her do. She knew she did not have a say.

'Yes, we do send each other letters,' revealed Bellatrix once she was settled, her eyes back on Andromeda who remained deathly still, though she would not look away. 'We have been since school started.'

'Do you like him?' asked Andromeda suddenly.

Bellatrix rolled her eyes and tsked, annoyed. 'Don't be ridiculous' she replied.

Andromeda did not think that was much of an answer but neither did she think wise to insist.

'Why did Sophie say he was dangerous?' she asked instead, her voice barely loud enough for a whisper.

Bellatrix did not waver. 'She doesn't like him very much,' she said casually. 'She is afraid because his father taught him magic that's not taught at Hogwarts.'

'What kind of magic?'

For the first time, Bellatrix seemed to hesitate. 'It's nothing bad, Andromeda,' she said finally, a tinge of annoyance in her voice. 'I don't understand why you're so concerned about this!'

Somewhere in the room, someone squirmed in their sleep. Andromeda glared at her sister. 'Because I don't want you to go mingle with some predatory older boy whom we've never met before,' she growled.

Bellatrix frowned. 'That is not your concern,' she said forcefully, though quietly. 'First of all, I know what I'm doing. Second of all, he is a Lestrange.'

'We've never met him before,' insisted Andromeda. 'And we've met everyone who matters.'

'He studied at Durmstrang!'

Andromeda fell silent.

Bellatrix looked at her triumphantly before continuing. 'Anyway, if anyone's being played, it's him.' Andromeda raised an eyebrow. Bellatrix's smile softened and she passed her long fingers through Andromeda's light brown mane. 'I'm making connections and I'm learning things,' she said gently. 'Next year, I won't be at Hogwarts anymore. I need to secure things now, you understand?'

Andromeda nodded slowly and sighed, closing her eyes. She felt exhausted, all of a sudden. Every limb of her body felt immensely heavy. She felt something break in her mind, and realised that maybe, she had been the one in the wrong, all along. Meekly, she brought her chin to her chest, away from her sister's stare. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered in a brittle voice.

Bellatrix passed an arm around her shoulder and held her into a hug. 'It's okay,' she said. 'Let's not be angry anymore.'

Andromeda nodded again, weakly. 'I don't know why I reacted like that…'

Bellatrix tightened her grip and continued to caress her hair gently. 'It's okay,' she said. 'It happens.'

Andromeda closed her eyes once more and nuzzled closer to her sister. She felt warmer now and slowly, she let her body relax.

Of course Bellatrix was right. Of course she, Andromeda, had been looking into things that were not her business. She should be grateful Bellatrix had come to her at all. Feeling her eyes water despite the closeness of her lids, she tried to think of something else.

'Are you staying?' she asked.

She felt Bellatrix shrug. 'Yes.'

'Thank you.'

'You know I don't like the dark,' replied her sister, and Andromeda could hear the smile in her voice.

Suddenly, she felt her heart swell. Bella was scared of the dark. Bella was scared of blood. Bella was scared of many things, but no one knew besides her family because she let no one know, because she never let her fears slow her down. Andromeda swore to herself, like she had done so often in the past, that she would strive to be more like Bella: brave and strong and unstoppable.

'Thank you,' she repeated, before finally letting sleep guide her back to the realm of dreams.


	5. Of Friends

**CHAPTER 5  
Of Friends**

* * *

When morning came, Andromeda's dormmates were surprised to see they had earned a visitor in the night. No one dared wake the sisters up and both rose much after everyone else. They probably would have slept through breakfast if Narcissa had not come storming into the room to jump on their bed, complaining loudly that they had not invited her to the pyjama party. Bellatrix nearly threw her across the room as she woke up and by then, the few curious onwatchers standing around had all left hurriedly before they could get caught up in her infamous anger. A second later, however, Bellatrix was cackling with laughter alongside her youngest sister, while Andromeda watched them fondly.

The three of them arrived together in the Great Hall and together, they ate. The Slytherin table welcomed them with many a whisper and many a glance, to which they paid no attention. Even Rita Skeeter's extraordinary nosiness could not distract them from their good mood.

As they left, long after and late for class, Liantris swiftly sneaked to Andromeda's side and put an arm around her shoulder. She did not like the contact but let him be, knowing very well that any rejection would be taken by him as a plea for more teasing.

'It seems you girls are friendly once more,' he said.

Andromeda could not help a smile. 'We never were not.'

Liantris rolled his eyes. 'Clearly,' he drawled, unconvinced. 'Anyway, love, who are you going to Hogsmeade with?'

Andromeda shrugged. She had assumed she would be going with her sisters. That was what they had promised, the first week back. But in the meantime, Bellatrix had received Rodolphus's letter and they had not talked about it again. Suddenly uncomfortable, she decided to stir the conversation into her hands. 'Is that a proposition?'

Liantris made a face. 'Get over us, Andromeda, dear' he said. 'I was going to ask you to go with my sister.'

Andromeda raised her eyebrows, surprised. 'I'm sure Margaret Greengrass has an army willing to accompany her.'

Liantris shook his head. 'She has friends,' he said. 'But that's not the problem. Her friends are nice and all, but they are not in.'

'In?'

'This world is ruled by a very small circle of power,' said Liantris pompously. 'Those inside the circle are the masters. Those outside of it, are the slaves. If my sister continues to walk outside the circle, she will end up a slave. A privileged slave maybe, but a slave nonetheless. I'm just looking out for her.'

'Then why don't you invite her to join you and your friends?'

'I do. She doesn't listen,' he replied. 'But you being her friend and not her annoying older brother, I'm sure she would be thrilled to join you.'

Andromeda took a second to think. 'I don't know about that,' she said, realising she did not know all that much about Maggie.

Liantris laughed, then, in a softer voice, he added: 'Just trust me. I need her to make friends amongst the right people. You understand that don't you?'

She nodded. Of course she did. Such was the doctrine upon which she had been raised, though she had never really thought on it before. Maggie Greengrass might have belonged to one of the richest and most ancient noble families there was, she remained, unfortunately, a Ravenclaw, and therefore not in a position of respect contrary to the rest of her Slytherin siblings. Andromeda realised that being a Black and belonging to the right House had made the necessity derisory. These days however, she felt its burden weight on her more than ever. She wondered when that shift had started. She suspected it had to do with Ted Tonks.

'But Liantris,' she said suddenly, 'my friends are not exactly "in" either.'

She was not lying. Though her family was the closest the wizarding world had to royalty, Andromeda's friends were far from reaching her status: Curtis was a Half-blood and Joy's family was, though rich and respected, known for fraternizing with muggles. Andromeda had made friends of them despite their background, and her family did not mind because from the outside, they were nobodies, living above the limit of tolerable, and therefore inconsequential. As long as Andromeda maintained relationships with people such as the Greengrasses, the Flints and the Rosier, which she did, then no intervention within her friendships would ever need be considered.

Liantris, however, shook his head. 'Andromeda, don't be ridiculous,' he sighed. 'One, they are in because you are. Two, I wasn't exactly thinking of your two puppies, I was talking about your sisters. Narcissa included. She has quite the court tailing her, doesn't she?'

Andromeda did not pretend to reply and simply pushed his arm off her shoulder before making a swift turn. Liantris, probably used to her quick and wordless escapes, did not seem offended. Watching her leave, he called after her. 'So what do you say?'.

Andromeda hesitated before giving in. She liked Maggie and her brother being annoying, she decided, should not be cause to punish her. 'I'll think about it,' she replied sincerely before heading off to her next class.

**oooOOOooo**

At lunch, she slid next to Bellatrix at the Slytherin table.

'Bella,' she said. 'We are going to Hogsmeade together, the three of us, right?

On Bellatrix's other side, Andromeda saw Sophie freeze and glance their way.

Bellatrix shook her head. 'Just go with your friends, Andy. That's what friends are for.'

'Bella…'

'Even Cissy told me she was excited to go with hers. We don't need to be together 24/7…'

'I know that…' said Andromeda impatiently, 'I just —'

'You have friends, don't you?'

Sophie dropped her fork and it clinkered against her plate.

'Oops…' she mumbled.

Andromeda clenched her fists. She took a long breath, considered opening her mouth for a retort, but realised that she would not be able to say a word without losing her temper. So she turned towards her plate and said: 'I want a sandwich.'

She knew Bellatrix and Sophie were looking at her like she had gone mad but she ignored them, and sure enough, the content of Andromeda's plate soon disappeared, to be replaced by a tuna and eggs sandwich.

'We can do that?' whispered Sophie.

Andromeda stood up, grabbed her lunch, and walked out of the Great Hall in calm, dignified strands.

'Andy!' called Bellatrix.

Andromeda did not bother to look at her.

**oooOOOooo**

'You're here early,' Joy said, sounding extremely pleased.

Andromeda looked up from her sandwich. She had come to the Quidditch pitch straight from the Great Hall and had installed herself on one of the lowest benches of the stands, waiting for everyone to arrive for the Slytherin try-outs. They had not been long, then again, she was so lost in thought she would not have felt time pass. In fact, she had been so absorbed in her anger that she had forgotten about her sandwich until the team was already there.

'I'm never late to anything,' she said, gulping down her food.

'You were late to class this morning.'

'I'm never late to anything important,' she corrected.

Joy laughed. She was wearing the green and silver uniform of the Slytherin Quidditch team and held a brand new-looking broomstick in her hand.

'What's that?' asked Andromeda, pointing at the broom.

'Cleansweep Six,' Joy replied pompously. 'Came out this summer.'

'Ah,' said Andromeda, because she knew next to nothing of Quidditch and broomsticks. 'What about your Comet?'

Joy sighed and looked dramatically into the distance. 'It served me well all those years but alas, its time had come…'

'Poor thing,' said Andromeda with a smile, making Joy giggle. 'Anyway, we're going to Hogsmeade together next weekend.'

Joy looked surprised. 'We are? I thought you were going with your sisters.'

Andromeda hid her irk behind a mask of indifference. 'Why? We don't need to be together 24/7.'

Joy bit her lip, unconvinced, but said nothing other than 'Yeah, I guess…'

'Joy!' called Paloma Jones in the distance. 'Captain requires your presence!'

'Woop, gotta go!' exclaimed Joy, running away with a wave goodbye.

'Good luck!' Andromeda called after her.

She watched as her friend hopped onto her broom, kicked the ground, and flew into the clear blue sky.

It was now the end of September and the beginning of autumn. Soon, most days would be a soft breeze in the morning, heavy clouds holding rain over their heads and red leaves covering moist earth like a tender blanket. Andromeda loved autumn the most; she loved sipping warm chocolate as the rain poured outside, contemplating the slow descent of the old red leaf, breathing in the soft and warm smell of moist grass and muddy earth. Back home, she would plant herself on the covered terrace of the manor and wait eagerly for a downpour.

On one of those occasions, Bellatrix, holding a weeping Narcissa by the hand, had come to her. 'What is it?' Andromeda had asked, hurriedly taking Cissy's other hand between her own.

Bellatrix, had looked at her with a solemn expression on her eleven-year-old face. 'She had a fight with the Bulstrode girl,' she had said, crunching her nose. 'What was her name, again?'

Narcissa had sniffed loudly as a weak 'Eliza' escaped her lips. It was sad, seeing her this way. Narcissa had always been Andy's little bit of sunshine when the manor felt dark and enclosed. She hated seeing her little sister in pain.

'It's all right, Cissy,' she had said. 'You have us, you know that.'

Cissy had nodded. Of course she knew that. How many times had Bellatrix insisted on it; that they had each other, forever. Even their parents had told them repeatedly that as sisters, they had to rely on and trust each other. Still, Narcissa had been unhappy. Andromeda had looked up at Bellatrix, for help and for advice, but her eyes had been met only with the frighteningly focused glare of her older sister who had asked : 'Why must you be so upset Cissy?'

Both Andromeda and Narcissa had looked up, shocked. 'What do you mean?' Andy had asked.

Bellatrix had looked nearly angry then. 'I mean that it's not like any of us has real friends. I don't have a real friend, Andromeda neither and not even you, Cissy. And maybe we can't have friends anyway because, remember who we are? We are the daughters of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. We can't be like other people. We can't be like those people who laugh with their dad and complain because their mom fusses over them. Our dad spends all his time in his office and never calls us by our names. Our mom spends all her time in her room and only treats us as annoyances. Don't you see? We don't and won't ever have friends! Not even our parents care about us! Our nannies and all our staff left us! We only have each other, Cissy, Andy. We can only trust each other. Because we are the only ones who we know for sure won't abandon us. We are each other's only friends and the only friends we will ever have!' Bellatrix had said loudly over the rumbling sound of the pouring rain. It was the first time, that afternoon, that she had made them this speech, but it would not be the last.

Cissy had cried harder after it. Andromeda had stayed very still and very silent for very long. Bellatrix had looked at them with that fervent light in her eyes; a light like a fire of hope and despair, relief and pain.

Before they knew it, Andromeda and Cissy were repeating it left and right alongside Bellatrix. '_We can only trust each other_', they whispered between themselves, '_We only have each other'_, '_We don't have friends_', '_Nobody really cares about me expect for my sisters,_' they thought. And Andromeda had believed it. They all had. But it seemed like the other two did not anymore.

Andromeda felt lonely now.

She looked for Joy amongst the flying figures on the pitch and found her hovering in the air near a silhouette she recognised as Paloma. They seemed to be talking excitedly about something, Quidditch no doubt. Behind her, on the stands, Annie was reading a book and Curtis was laughing with his dormmates.

How many of them were her friends?

With Paloma, she had nearly nothing in common. She did not dislike the chaser and did call her a friend, but she had that nagging feeling that should Paloma and she have been in different Houses, they would not have gotten along. They were Slytherins and roommates; of course they would find a way to coexist nicely in the same space.

Anne Fawley she had known since before Hogwarts, the Fawley family being Sacred Twenty-Eight. Rather, Andromeda had met Annie before Hogwarts, because she had never really gotten to know her. Annie was... peculiar. She kept to herself most of the time. Her eyes trembled and her hands shook when others talked to her. She always averted her gaze, said the weirdest things at the weirdest times and laughed too loud when it was not comfortable. She made Andromeda feel uneasy. She made Andromeda feel sad too, and guilty. Annie, generally, was not treated badly in the Slytherin House, but Andromeda had never found it in her to be the bigger person and talk to her — a real talk — and befriend her.

Then of course, there were Joy and Curtis. Andromeda truly cared for them. Or had. She cared for Joy and her undying energy, and her readiness to help, and that great capacity she had at getting excited over things, and getting attached to things, and getting angry for things... but she always had to ask herself: how long would this last? Curtis had so easily lost his place in her heart after years of being one of her closest friends, who was to say that Joy could not cast Andromeda aside just as easily. Or maybe it was Andromeda who, one day, would realise she did not like her anymore.

She struggled to call them friends because how long would it be before she realised that really, they were nothing to her, and she was nothing to them? What even was she to them now? A source of influence. A guarantee. A pedestal. She was a Black, after all, and Slytherins were bred for cunning and ambition.

_Huh_, thought Andromeda bitterly. _Adults have moulded this House to doubt even the concept of friendship. Cunning and ambition they said..._ When she had been eleven, sitting with Bellatrix in the Common Room for the first time, all she had seen was strong loyalty, fierce determination, a drive, and a streak for laughter. What was serious was serious, what was not was not. That was the Slytherin House she had known. But now, like everyone else, she found herself looking out for the cunning and ambition.

She dared not share her deepest secrets with anyone but Bellatrix. Sometimes, when she felt it was not too much of a burden, she would share with Cissy too. Joy and Curtis, however, were never told secrets of much importance to Andromeda. Then again, Andromeda had grown to cultivate secrecy. It was for security of course, so that no one — and by no one she meant no one within the Black Family — could ever be hurt or pained or betrayed in any way. It was safest not to share. They were Blacks, after all, and Blacks were a source of jealousy, and jealousy brewed enemies.

She had other people in her life. She had Sophie, she had Liantris, she had Maggie. But she felt like none of them could fundamentally understand her and her experiences. There were her numerous cousins, but those were the children of her mother's siblings, and Andromeda and her sisters barely ever saw them outside of Hogwarts. The cousins she saw were Sirius and Regulus, Aunt Walburga's sons, and still too young to be anybody's friends.

No, really, Andromeda only had her sisters and she did not doubt her sisters knew that. What she did doubt now was that they were in the same position as she was. They could be without her, it seemed. She could not. She had been agonising over one measly Muggle-born while Bellatrix was still hiding much more important things from her.

But Andromeda did not want to be alone. Andromeda did not want things to change.

That evening, the dormitory was full of life. Joy and Paloma had passed the try-outs with flying colours. Then again, the fourteen-year-old team captain, Steve Laughalot, might well have been a young Quidditch prodigy, he was still an impressionable kid who would rather play with a team he was familiar with.

And although Andromeda smiled and laughed and played with the other girls, she did not feel happy. She felt sad and betrayed and she felt afraid of losing her sisters.


	6. The Kitchens

**CHAPTER 6  
****The Kitchens**

* * *

'It's our turn to patrol,' said Curtis.

Andromeda looked up from her essay and released a long sigh. She had been working on her Potions homework and had completely forgotten about her prefect duties. 'What about the new guys?' she asked hopefully.

'The fifth years did it last week.'

Reluctantly, she stood up. Next to her, Maggie let out a little laugh. 'You really don't live up to your reputation, you know?'

'What, unlike you?' replied Andromeda, shoving her books and parchments inside her bag.

'_I _am never too lazy for prefect duties.'

'Sure.'

Maggie laughed again. 'You're just jealous because I said I wouldn't go to Hogsmeade with you.'

Andromeda chuckled. 'Please, I only asked because your brother begged me.'

Maggie's jaw dropped. 'Liantris?'

'Let's go then,' said Andromeda, throwing her hair back and twirling on her heel.

She left the library with Curtis, but the thing was, Andromeda really did not want to patrol tonight. Originally, it was because of laziness, but as she walked the corridors with Curtis pointedly putting an unnaturally large distance between them, Andromeda was ready to run back to the Common Room and lock herself in her dormitory so that no one could force her out. Awkwardness was not a strong enough word to express what she felt in that instant. The silence was so tense that she visibly jumped when Curtis broke it. Thankfully, he had been looking the other way.

'I'm a little tired,' he said, 'wouldn't it go faster if we went our own way and met up when we're done?'

'You're right,' said Andromeda before immediately turning a corner in one swift motion.

It was a rather rude escape but she was not sure she cared at this point. They had not really decided on each other's perimeter but it was not the first time they had divided the castle that way to speed things up. Hopefully, Curtis would do his part and no student would be out at this time of night. Not that it happened often anyway. Merlin was this entire patrolling thing useless!

Naturally, just as the idea crossed her mind, footsteps echoed in the corridors. Repressing a curse, she hurried slightly to catch the trespasser. Silently, she sneaked around a corner, her best disapproving face on, and raised her eyes. Her face fell immediately.

'You again!' she exclaimed despite herself.

Ted Tonks froze, a pile of sweets and cakes in his arm. The sight would have been comical if Andromeda was not so dumbfounded to stumble upon him once more. Did he do it on purpose?

'Err… Wotcher!' he said.

Andromeda covered her face in her hand, exasperated. Tonks was smiling at her with dumb embarrassment met with a tinge of happiness. He tried to wave at her but the dangerously high pile of food in his hand wavered and he had to outdo himself in terms of physical prowess to prevent anything from falling. Andromeda raised an eyebrow when he tucked out his tongue, looking thoroughly focused. She looked away to contain the smile that threatened to break her mask of indifference and sighed louder.

'You're out of your Common Room after curfew,' she said.

Tonks let out an embarrassed chuckle. 'Yeah, I know, but it was just for a second,' he said. 'I'm not one of those rebels.'

Andromeda gave him a doubtful look. 'Your hands are full of food.'

Tonks's eyes opened wider, as if he hadn't noticed. 'Oh, that? It's not what you think!'

'What do I think?' asked Andromeda. Truth was, she had no idea what to make of this entire situation.

Tonks looked taken aback for a second. 'Oh, well, err… I don't know. But I can explain.'

'Please, do.'

'Today's my friend's birthday, and we're throwing him a little party in the Common Room.' Andromeda opened her mouth to interrupt but Tonks hurriedly blurted the last words. 'I went to the kitchens to get more cake! We didn't have any left.'

Andromeda froze and raised an eyebrow. 'The kitchens?' she asked. Tonks nodded apprehendingly. 'You know where they are?' Again, Tonks nodded. Andromeda bit her lip, trying to supress any sign of curiosity or excitement. 'Are we allowed there?'

This time, the boy wobbled uncomfortably. 'Well… Not per say, but, really, knowing that it's five feet away from our Common Room, I mean…'

'Really? Five feet away?'

'Well, no, not five feet. I haven't measured the distance, you know.'

'Well, where are they?'

'What?'

'The kitchens.'

Ted rose an eyebrow. 'You're not going to take points away from me?' he asked.

Andromeda hesitated. She honestly could not care less about the rules and would only take points from him if she thought it would guarantee Slytherin to win the House Cup, but this early into the school year, the House Cup meant absolutely nothing. What was much more interesting was the location of the kitchens. She had never been one to explore the castle but it was famous that the kitchens were well hidden and nearly inaccessible. No one in the Slytherin House had any idea where they could be. Andromeda still was not even sure where the Hufflepuff Common Room was. If disregarding some irrelevant rules would finally quench her curiosity, why not do it?

Having come to that conclusion, she looked back at Ted – at Tonks! – and threw him a decided stare.

'Not if you take me there,' she said.

She knew that talking to him was crazy. Asking him to take her somewhere was practically the epitome of madness. But as long as nobody knew, therewas no harm donne. If Bellatrix had her secrets, so could she.

Confusion, doubt and excitement toggled on Tonks' face before he finally gave her one of those big, bright, dimpled smiles that were starting to feel familiar.

'Alright!' he said. 'Let's go!'

He took off decidedly but came to a stop a step later. As the pile of food wobbled in his arms, he hesitated, looked back, looked front, looked at Andromeda's unbreachable poker face, before finally shrugging and continuing on his way. Andromeda suppressed a chuckle and followed him from an appropriate distance, expecting to walk silently. Naturally, Tonks saw things differently.

'I might be showing you one of my House's biggest secrets,' he said.

Andromeda shrugged. 'Hufflepuffs do not own the kitchens,' she replied.

He laughed. 'Yes, but we, and a few chosen others, are the only ones to know where they are.' Andromeda did not reply so Ted took it as an invitation to carry on. 'It's for the better of course.' He waited, clearly waiting for Andromeda to ask "why", but the girl was determined not to. Tonks' disappointment lasted only a second. 'It's better for the cooks,' he said, still cryptic.

Andromeda nodded although she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. She could take a guess, of course, but she would have the answer in front of her in less than a minute and therefore did not deem the effort necessary. Looking up, she met Tonks eyes. A broad grin playing on his lips made her feel uneasy. He knew something she did not and it hurt her pride. Repressing a huff, she turned away and barely noticed him come to an abrupt stop in front of a large painting. Last second reflexes saved her from an awkward collision with his square back, an experience she had already lived through. She took several steps back and thought she saw the faintest blush on Tonks' cheeks. He looked away before she could be certain.

'We're here,' he said, his voice a little higher than usual.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. 'We're in the middle of an empty corridor,' she noted.

Tonks grinned boyishly. 'True,' he said, taking out his wand. Andromeda stood straighter, tensed. But Tonks was no threat.

'Lumos,' he said.

Under the new light, Andromeda watched him as he gently tickled the pear painted in the fruit ball. She was about to call him crazy and instead nearly jumped when the painting wavered before gliding to the side. It seemed silly, now, that she had not expected it, but as she watched the piece of magic unfold before her eyes, she was surprised at how excited it made her feel. Tonks seemed to understand the expression on her face. He smiled from ear to ear, drawing lines at the crest of his eyes, and waved towards her, prompting her to follow him. She did not need to be told twice.

Stepping into the passageway, she could not help a loud gasp from escaping her lips. The room in which she found herself was immense, brightly lit with numerous candles, warmed with the dancing flames of a large fireplace, and dizzying with the myriad of flavoury smells twirling in playful spirals under her nose. But most extraordinary of all was the sheer number of house-elves before which she found herself standing. Andromeda was no stranger to house-elves; her family owned one and so did her Uncle Orion and Aunt Walburga. They were small, ugly, pitiful creatures, trudging around as if about to give in at any time. Andromeda felt a mix of revulsion and compassion towards those creatures and, uneasy with the conflicting feelings, always preferred keeping her distance.

The elves in front of her, however, were different from those she knew. They were healthy, bright, and their skin glowed with golden pigments so different from the bleak grey Andromeda was used to seeing. They smiled from one big flappy ear to the other when Ted and her entered the room. Quickly, she was surrounded by a little army of elves bouncing excitedly at her feet, asking a thousand questions; was she hungry? Did she want to eat something? Did she want to drink something? Did she want…?

She threw a helpless look at Ted who met it with a smile both reassuring and amused. She smiled also when he turned around to put down his pile of food on the nearest table.

'Everyone,' he said, 'would you mind giving me a bag for all this food?'

The elves fell silent. Andromeda raised an eyebrow, Ted answered with a playful wink. Before she could ask anything, a sudden rush put her off balance. The elves set themselves into motion excitedly, hoping from left to right with bubbling hysteria and leaving Andromeda as lost as ever. Some took her by the hands and forced her into an armchair near the fireplace. Before she knew it, she had a cup of hot chocolate in the hands and a warm cookie in the other. Ted joined her a minute later, a large bag over one shoulder, ambling to her with calm amusement. Two elves followed him in circle but he refused their many offers politely and patiently. Andromeda was impressed.

He sat on the armchair next to hers and smiled one of his big bright smiles. She looked away, to the fireplace. He must not think we're friendly now, she thought. That would not do any good to either of them. Tonks, however, seemed unaffected.

'So,' he said. 'What do you think?'

Andromeda hesitated before answering. She wondered how honest she could be, how much it would cost her. 'It's… impressive.'

Ted looked around, nodding. 'It is,' he agreed. 'That's why I think it's better that only a few people know about this place. The elves enjoy our company, but too many students would probably cause more harm than good.'

For the first time, Andromeda could not detect any trace of laughter in his voice. He was completely serious. She was confused. She remained silent. Her lack of reply had him turn to look at her. Their eyes met and, again, she thought she saw the usual golden tone of his light skin redden with a tinge of pink. She raised an eyebrow. He looked away.

'Do you…' he started, his voice lower than usual and hesitant. 'Do you want something? To drink, I mean. Or to eat. Whatever you… whatever you want.'

A smirk on her lips, Andromeda raised slightly the hot chocolate and warm cookie she was holding in each hand. Ted saw it and chuckled.

'Right,' he said, clearly embarrassed as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. 'I… yeah.'

Before she could help it, a laugh escaped Andromeda's lips. She leaned forward and gave him the cookie, replying to the surprise on his face with a half smirk.

'I'm not hungry,' she said. 'Don't refuse it I'm not in the mood for that kind of fight.'

Ted hesitated a second more, before giving in with a soft smile. 'Thanks,' he breathed, and took a bite. His eyes closed as he let the taste melt into his mouth. When he opened them again, he turned to a little house-elf, standing discreetly behind his armchair, all hunched up and shivering.

'Those cookies are incredible, Minky,' he said brightly. 'Did you cook them?' Minky nodded timidly, lowering her eyes as she blushed vividly. 'I knew it,' continued Ted. 'I always recognise your cooking. It's the best.'

He was surprisingly charming. Andromeda hated to say it but the thought was too loud in her head for her to dismiss. She could not look away as he talked to this little elf, his voice soft, his eyes glowing, his smile blinding. He was charming in a way Andromeda would never had expected and in a way, she did not know could affect her so strongly. The only other boy who had surprised her that way was Liantris Greengrass. A year older than her, he always strolled around Hogwarts like a prince in his castle, but under his cocky demeanour, Andromeda knew him to be a kind, caring person.

Ted reminded her of him in the easiness with which he talked. The ability with which he seemed to navigate others' feelings. How spot on his words could be. At least how they appeared to be as she observed his conversation with the tiny creature. But Ted was nothing like Liantris. He was a Muggle-born, he was a Hufflepuff, he was shorter, stocky, his smiles always seemed honest, his eyes playful, his voice comforting…

Andromeda jumped on her feet, nearly knocking back the armchair behind her.

'I'm exhausted,' she snapped, much more aggressively than she had intended.

Ted threw her a worried look, confused. 'Oh,' he said. 'You want to leave?'

She nodded. Minky hurriedly took the half-emptied cup from Andromeda's hands and disappeared in short, quick steps. Ted – no, Tonks! – threw his bag over his shoulder once more and waited for her to pass in front of him before following. She nearly nodded in approval but stopped herself at the last second. Instead, she passed him without so much as a glance.

She left without a word to anybody, wondering slightly if she should have thanked the house-elves. Tonks was thanking them. In her house, the idea would have been ridiculous. She waited for him outside and he was quick to meet her. They exchanged expectant looks in awkward silence for what seemed like way too long before Andromeda let out a long sigh.

'Thanks,' she said.

For some reason, Tonks looked taken aback. 'Oh. No problem,' he replied with a pleasant smile. 'I thought you were angry.'

She grunted. 'I'm not. I just…' No, she was not going to express the complexity of her psyche to this Muggle-born stranger. 'Anyway,' she said instead. 'We're even now. You should hurry back to your birthday party. Everyone must be starving because of me.'

Ted laughed brightly. 'Slytherins starving Hufflepuffs! This school really is going downhill!' he joked, and despite herself, Andromeda found herself laughing too.

'Don't mention this to anybody, though,' she said once she had calmed down. Her voice was soft, not menacing. Bellatrix would have threatened him. No, Bellatrix would never have talked to him in the first place. The dark corridors seemed much more oppressive suddenly.

'I won't,' said Tonks. 'Just like with the Owlery.'

Andromeda glanced at him and the frown of his brows confused her. 'Yes…' she whispered. 'Thank you about that.'

'It was rude, the way you just left,' Ted said suddenly, and although he had pronounced the word with his usual honey voice, there was an edge to it that had her shiver. 'But I assumed you had your reasons.' She did not reply. He sighed. 'Whatever. I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise.'

She threw him a quizzical look. He hesitated. Finally, he raised a hand, waved hesitantly, and left with an awkward smile but a bright 'Good night!'. He was a few feet away when Andromeda replied in a whisper. By the slight tinge of his head, she thought he might have heard.

Turning on her heels, she shook her head and decided not to care. She met Curtis in front of the Slytherin Common Room, waiting for her. She barely took the time to respond when he asked her where she'd been and if everything went well. She said she was tired and made straight for her dormitory. She was confused. She was confused because she could not help but feel as if she was missing out on something, and she did not know what. She could not help but feel as if everyone around her was aware of some secret that she was not. She could not help but feel as if she was walking a path surrounded by gigantic walls to which she had never paid attention before, and she was the only one who had never had the curiosity to look beyond. She was not happy about that.

She blamed Ted Tonks for making her feel bad about things she never had felt bad about before.


	7. Conflicts Arise

**CHAPTER 7  
Conflicts Arise**

* * *

The owl post, on a beautiful morning of autumn, brought with its news much uproar and much conflict. The Minister of Magic, Nobby Leach, had just presented a new law meant to incorporate better the Squib population into both the muggle and magical worlds. While some students fervently defended the act, others passionately discarded it as garbage. Conflict emerged, however, when Bellatrix stood on the bench of the Slytherin table and raised her voice to say that this was the start of decadence.

Over at the teachers table, Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick made to stand up, obviously outraged, but did not have a chance to be heard. Some Gryffindor boy, whose name Andromeda thought to be something along the lines of Caradoc Dearborn, had also risen from his table to claim boldly that '_Decadence is what you bring to this world with your backwards extremist ideas!_'. Half the Slytherin table jumped to their feet then, so half the Gryffindor table did the same, imitated by the ever-loyal Hufflepuff table. When Andromeda glanced, she saw many Ravenclaws standing up as well.

'Go back to licking your muggles' arses, you filthy muggle-lover!' shouted Valentine.

'MUDBLOOD LOVER!' roared Curtis for emphasis.

'That's enough,' came the distant voice of Professor McGonagall. It was soon drowned by the tumult of the Great Hall, however, and Andromeda, still seated, could only send her way waves of sympathy.

'YOU GO BACK TO YOUR DUNGEONS!' squeaked a tiny red-haired boy at the Gryffindor table.

'YEAH!' added his identical twin brother.

'SCUM LOVERS!'

'INBREEDERS!'

'YOU'LL DIE FOR THIS!'

'MY FATHER WILL SEND YOU ALL TO AZKABAN!'

'YOUR FATHER IS THE ONE AZKABAN WAS CREATED FOR!'

'ENOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!'

Silence followed the booming call of the Headmaster. Andromeda laid back on her chair and bit her lip. Dumbledore looked furious. Under his large beard, he was fuming, and his blue eyes shone dangerously behind his half-moon spectacles. She looked around and found Narcissa's eyes. Her sister looked just as worried as she felt.

'This has been enough!' Dumbledore said, cold fury audible in his voice. 'I will not have my students behave that way in this castle! Neither will I tolerate the unabashed display of bigotry and prejudice to which we have just been submitted!' The Headmaster marked a paused while unhappy mutters flowed through the Slytherin table. 'Let me be clear on this matter,' he continued in his usual calm voice once the muttering had died down. 'A wizard's worth is not determined by his ancestry (Andromeda felt a shiver creep up her spine) his blood, or even his magical ability. A wizard's worth is determined by his capacity to reach out to others and give as much as he takes. A wizard's worth is determined by the size of his heart, not the force of his magic, not the renown of his name.'

Another silence. Longer this time. It dragged, Andromeda felt. It dragged too long. Yet when it ended, Andromeda found herself missing it: Bellatrix had risen from her chair and wordlessly stormed out of the Great Hall. Sophie, Valentine, Curtis, Felix Rosier, Carlisle Bulstrode who was a classmate of Andromeda's, and even younger students like Terrence Travers, Hermann Nott, Florian Parkinson and Lucius Malfoy, all soon followed.

Andromeda and Narcissa exchanged anguished looks. All the students left at the Slytherin table were now staring at them expectantly. Andromeda's eyes crossed Liantris's but his emerald gaze was undecipherable, his face unreadable. He was watching her silently.

Narcissa tucked her arm, and Andromeda turned to her. She pointed at the gigantic doors of the Great Hall and Andromeda's throat tightened. Bellatrix had not left. Bellatrix was waiting there, immobile. Her posture was perfect, her gaze deathly cold, her aura so confident those who stood too close had to back down. Andromeda put on the mask she had perfected the most, the mask that had become like second skin to her, the mask that had made her who she was in that school. She put on her mask of indifference and, grabbing Narcissa stood up, and headed towards the doors.

A quick glance told her Cissy had followed her example and put on her best face. Another glance told her Liantris was still staring at her, and though his eyebrows were crunched together, she still could not read him. A last glance told her that Joy had followed.

Eyes now fixed on Bellatrix, she made her way to the doors, the heels of her shoes tapping on the stone floor, echoing in the silence that was not quite silent, broken by whispers and mutters and fidgeting. Her heart pounding she tried to ignore the hundreds of eyes she felt on the back of her neck. She corrected her posture, made it perfect. She had to be perfect. She was a Black.

On the other side of the room, Professor Dumbledore's voice echoed through the hall. 'Either finish you breakfast or go join your classes!' he said, and Andromeda could swear she had heard a drop of bitterness in his voice.

What felt like aeons later, she was finally by Bella's side, still holding firmly to Cissy's hand.

Bella nodded. 'Follow me, I need to talk to you.'

Andromeda and Narcissa exchanged a glance but did as they were bid.

'Meda!' called Joy behind Andromeda who stopped and turned. 'I'll see you later then?'

'Yeah. I'll see in our next class,' replied Andromeda.

Joy nodded and headed towards Curtis who was snarling with Carlisle Bulstrode and Valentine Pyrites. Andromeda decided that whatever they were talking about, she wanted no part in it.

**oooOOOooo**

She followed Bellatrix through the corridors and started wondering whether she wanted any part in whatever Bella was going to tell them either.

'Bella, where are we going?' asked Cissy weakly after they had made another turn.

Bellatrix ignored her. She was taking them to some obscure, forgotten part of the castle.

'Is she angry?' whispered Narcissa.

'Not at us,' Andromeda replied. She knew it was true. She just hoped it was for the better.

Bellatrix finally stopped in front of an empty classroom and hurriedly ushered them in. They followed her lead and waited.

'Stupid Dumbledore!' muttered Bellatrix angrily once she had closed the door behind them. 'Stupid teachers! Stupid Minister of Magic!' Andromeda and Narcissa exchanged a look. Bellatrix seemed not to notice. Breathing deeply, she turned back to them. 'Listen to me,' she said, holding a _Daily Prophet_ before their eyes. 'This law that Leach is trying to pass, it's just a means to make his kind more relevant. He's giving importance to the non-magical scum so that muggles like him can take over. And Dumbledore, he's on their side! He hates us, magical folks! Did you hear him speak? About the worth of wizards? I thought I was gonna puke.'

Andromeda nodded. She could understand the discomfort. Looking by a window, however, she felt herself yawn. 'Did you bring us here to tell us this?' she asked.

Bellatrix shook her head. 'No. I brought you here to warn you.'

Narcissa squirmed. 'Are we in danger?' she asked fearfully.

Andromeda met Bellatrix's eyes. 'Cissy,' said the oldest. 'As long as a Muggle-born stands as Minister of Magic, all of the wizarding world is at risk.' Andromeda put a reassuring hand on Narcissa's shoulder. The poor girl looked terrified. 'But it's okay because he will not stand there for long. A lot of people are not happy with the current situation, Cissy. A lot of people want to put an end to it. And they are the stronger party.'

Andromeda frowned. 'Who are they?' she asked suspiciously.

Bellatrix looked straight into her eyes. 'I can't tell you. I'm not even sure yet. I'm looking into it. Just trust me for now, okay?' Both Andromeda and Narcissa nodded. Bellatrix sighed. 'Good. Now listen carefully. Things are going to change from now on,' she said, her voice grave, her eyes intense. 'I want you two to be very careful. You are members of the House of Black. Who you talk to, who you stay with, who you look at – all of this has an impact on our family. So, from now on, I want you two to be extra careful and extra strict with yourselves. Start making connections, only befriend people if the friendship is advantageous to you, do not approach in any way, shape or form a muggle, a muggle-born, a blood-traitor… I even want you to be careful with half-bloods, okay? Do not put the family in a bad position. Do not put yourselves in bad positions. Understood?'

Andromeda gulped, and nodded. Narcissa nodded. Bellatrix nodded. There was a long pause. Bellatrix took a deep breath.

'I'm looking out for you two. Be careful,' she said softly. 'Now go to your classes. Hurry.'

Narcissa swiftly disappeared. Andromeda stayed behind.

'What is it?' asked Bellatrix, frowning.

Andromeda hesitated. She could hear the blood pumping in her head and her heart palpitating madly in her chest. None of it showed on her face. 'I think you scared Cissy,' she said matter-of-factly.

Bellatrix stared at her intensely. 'She has to know. You have to know.'

Andromeda nodded. 'Yes, you made yourself pretty clear.' She paused. Another silence. Then : 'Those people… the "stronger party"… are they linked to Lestrange and his Dark Lord somehow?'

'What do you think?' asked Bellatrix in response.

'Of course.' Andromeda nodded again. 'Say, why don't you include me in all this? Your correspondence with Rodolphus, your, uhm, inquiries into the Dark Lord…'

Bellatrix squinted her eyes. She seemed to hesitate. After a while, she said: 'You're not ready yet, Andy.'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. 'You're kidding me, I hope.'

'I'm not. This is serious.'

'You're treating me like you're treating Cissy.'

'And you're being a child about it!' snapped Bellatrix. 'I will tell you all you need to know. In time. In the meantime, focus on making the right friends, because Joycelin and Curtis don't exactly cut it.'

Andromeda made an effort not to clench her teeth. 'I'll see what I can do about that.'

Bellatrix stared at her before placing a gentle hand on her shoulders. 'Everything I do, I do for you and Cissy. You know that, right.'

Andromeda felt guilty all of a sudden. 'Of course, I know,' she said.

Bellatrix smiled kindly. 'I'm sorry. I have to go.'

She left the room without another word.

Andromeda watched her go silently and fell lump into a chair. She was going to be late to class, she knew, but she needed to compose herself. _"Who you talk to, who you stay with, who you look at – all of this has an impact on our family"_, Bellatrix had said. _"do not approach in any way, shape or form a muggle, a muggle-born, a blood-traitor… Things are going to change from now on… You are members of the House of Black… Do not put the family in a bad position… Everything I do, I do for you and Cissy…"_

Andromeda passed a frantic hand in her hair. All these things she had heard a million times before. She knew those rules. She was aware of those warnings. She had always been careful, always tried… until recently… Ted Tonks… on a whim…

No! That had been nothing but a slip. She would not let anything resembling communication with a mudblood happen ever again. She could not.

_"Things are going to change from now on…"_ Yes, she knew. She realised now, that she would not be able to stop it. But how would they change, and what would she do about it?

**oooOOOooo**

The next day, Andromeda was forced to remember that Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was not just any kind of school. Hogwarts was a school were sixteen-year-olds were taught to brew a potion that causes hysteria.

'The Alihotsy plant is the fundamental element of the Alihotsy Draught,' Professor Slughorn was saying as he roamed between the rows of students.

'Who'd have thought?' joked Andromeda under her breath.

Next to her, Maggie chuckled.

'You must be very careful when you incorporate it to the mix,' continued the Professor. 'If the temperature is not exact, it might trigger a reaction…'

'I wonder what kind of reaction,' snorted Maggie.

'An explosion!' concluded Slughorn.

Andromeda and Maggie burst into laughter. Although they had tried to be discreet, Slughorn was close enough and experienced enough to notice them right away. The girls looked up but found no trace of anger or disappointment in the plump wizard's face, only a playful smile.

'Could it be that my two best students feel unthreatened by the possibility of failure?' he asked, to them only.

Maggie shook her head immediately. 'Of course not, Professor,' she said. 'It's just…' she threw a glance at Andromeda, asking for help.

'We would have been surprised if the consequence was not an explosion, sir,' said the Slytherin with a charming smile. 'After six years of brewing potions, we start having expectations.'

Slughorn laughed lightly. 'I see, I see… well, between you and I, an explosion is not the only consequence a mistake can lead to,' he whispered with a complicit glance.

Andromeda and Margaret exchanged a look. 'What do you mean, Professor?' asked Margaret.

Slughorn ushered them closer. They leaned in, curious, whilst their teacher threw dramatic glances around. 'If you put the leaves in while the temperature approaches two hundred degrees, it might turn the Draught into a short-time-pain-infusion potion,' he whispered, looking them right in the eyes. 'The pain it causes can be up to three times worse than that of the Cruciatus Curse.'

The girls did not reply, their faces stuck in an expression of confounded worry. Slughorn leaned back and, upon registering their reactions, replaced his dramatic grave look with his usual bright smile. 'Thankfully, the pain never lasts more than a minute and getting the potion right is highly unlikely. Only a few cases have ever been reported, so nothing to worry about on that front!' he said, then paused, and looked around. 'Refrain from telling this to anyone else. It is not the type of information that should befall unto the hands of students.' Winking, he added, 'Although you two are not just any students.'

The girls smiled in response until he left merrily. They exchanged another look and Andromeda was happy to see the horror on her face reflected on Maggie's. Shaking away her worry, the latter went back to mixing the potion.

'That was… gruesome,' she said.

Andromeda nodded. 'I wonder how he knows all this,' she said. 'He always has some horrific story to tell about this or that potion. Do you think he's actually tried them all?'

'You mean brewed them, or consumed them?'

Andromeda chuckled. 'I can hardly see Professor Slughorn willingly putting himself in danger. No, brew them of course.'

Margaret feigned to think for a second. 'You know, I wouldn't be surprised,' she replied. 'He has that "mad scientist" look about him.'

Andromeda threw her a curious look. 'Mad scientist?'

Margaret nodded. A second later, she frowned and looked back at her friend, only then understanding the tone of surprise in her voice. 'You do know what a scientist is?' she asked.

Andromeda indeed had a vague idea of what a scientist was, but she was not sure she wanted to be put to the test. 'That's not the point,' she replied instead. 'Since when do you use muggle references?' she pressed.

Margaret's frown turned from doubtful to cautioning. 'Wizards always have,' she said. 'Since when has it become a problem?'

Andromeda did not look away when Maggie's stare became more insistent, but neither did she reply. She did not know that wizards always had been using muggle references. Her family certainly shied away from those most of the time, if not always. As to why it was problem, she had a lot to say on the matter, but those would not be her words, and she did not feel confident enough in them to shove them at Maggie, a friend whom she knew to be very critical.

A friend.

Andromeda sighed and finally put an end to their staring contest.

'Maggie,' she started, conflicted and not looking at her. 'What do you think of all this?'

She heard Maggie sigh next to her and lean on the table behind them. 'What?' She asked in return.

Andromeda threw her a meaningful look. 'You know what,' she said. 'All the debates about squibs, and muggles, and muggleborns and the Minister of Magic and the protests… What do you think?'

Maggie threw her a long, deep stare. 'Why do you ask me?' she breathed.

Andromeda tsked, annoyed. 'Just – answer,' she said, but Maggie remained silent. Andromeda sighed. 'Because you're my friend,' she started with difficulty. 'But also, because you're a Pure-blood from one of the richest and most powerful families, and a Ravenclaw. I want your perspective on things.'

Slowly, Margaret's face brightened into an amused but gentle smile. 'Merlin knows our kind does need perspective,' she said, then pushed herself from the desk and, as she added ingredients to the brewing potion, regained a graver expression. 'If I'm completely honest, Meda,' she said, 'I'm scared. Nobby Leach might be Muggle-born, the first Muggle-born Minister of Magic, but he is far from being as incompetent as the big families make him out to be. And those recent attacks against muggleborns… I don't know. It just seems like…'

'Like what?' prompted Andromeda, worried.

'Like there might be a war coming,' concluded Margaret.

Silence followed her statement. It took Andromeda a moment to gather herself out of her thoughts and get back to cleaning the Alihotsy leaves. She was thinking back to what Sophie had told her back during Liantris's party. That Rodolphus and his Dark Lord seemed to want war. Sophie had always been a brilliant girl.

Andromeda and Maggie did not exchange a look for many more minutes. When it was time to add the leaves to the mix, the two glanced apprehensively at each other.

'Pray there's no explosion,' begged Maggie between clenched teeth.

'Pray if there is, it's not resistant to cleaning spells,' added Andromeda.

Taking her courage into her own hands, she raised the leaves above the cauldron, nodded once more towards Maggie, and shutting her eyes tight, released her burden. She heard the blop of the plant hitting the liquid solution and cringed, expecting the worst. Instead, she heard the playful sound of bubbles and opened her eyes to see a bright violet potion, exactly the colour it was supposed to be.

'Yes!' exclaimed Maggie as Andromeda sighed in relief.

The two jumped merrily on the spot and a high-five later had caught the attention of Professor Slughorn who hurried over to where they stood and praised them passionately for the following ten minutes of class.

'A remarkable feat, young ladies!' he said before adding, for them only: 'And one that we will make sure to brag about at my next Slug Club Party.'

With a cryptic smile, he left to sing their praises to the rest of the small class, leaving the two girls to exchange amused glances. It was no surprise that they would be invited to the Slug Club. Both had been recurring members since their fourth year, both thanks to their family names and excellent grades.

Calmed down since their victory, Andromeda and Maggie lost themselves in the contemplation of their impeccable creation. Yet slowly, Andromeda's smile faded.

'Maggie,' she started, and Margaret nodded. 'If there is a war… Which side will you be on?' she whispered.

Maggie never looked away from the potion as she replied. 'Hopefully, the same as yours Meda.'

**oooOOOooo**

"_Hopefully, the same as yours, Meda."_

'Meda.'

"_The same as yours, Meda —"_

'Meda?'

"_The sa—"_

'Andromeda!'

Andromeda looked up, startled, only to find Joy glaring at her. Next to her, Paloma and Annie were staring suspiciously. Their silence would have been heavy had it not been buried under the tantrum noises of the Three Broomsticks. Together, the four of them sat at a table in a corner of the vast room, near a window, relatively away from the general excitation, but not far enough that the loud laughter of young Gryffindors and booming exclamations of older wizards did not reach them as if they had been sitting at their table. Andromeda wondered about using the noise as an excuse for her inattention. Looking at her friend's glare again, she decided against it.

For a long moment she remained silent, not knowing what to say and, frankly, not in the mood to beg for forgiveness. She did not want to pretend caring about everything her friends said. She did not care about everything her friends said. She had no reason to apologise. She apologised too much already.

Still, she caught her breath ever so discreetly when she saw Joy open her mouth, ready to rant.

'This feels familiar…' she mumbled before exclaiming, 'I've been calling you for ages!'

Andromeda shrugged. 'I zoned out,' she said, turning back to watch out the window.

Outside, the sky was grey and clouded. Rain threatened to pour as strong winds shuffled the leaves off the paved streets. Andromeda usually enjoyed this kind of weather. Today however, it just looked grim.

The day had started fine. Andromeda and her classmates had hopped onto the carriages for Hogsmeade together, all of them in a bright mood. Later, in Hogsmeade, she had caught a glimpse of Narcissa giggling with her court of followers and Bellatrix stepping out of a carriage with Sophie and a huddle of other students, including Liantris, Valentine, Rita, Curtis and Carlisle. Andromeda had made it a point to look away.

She had actually had a great time with Joy, Paloma and Annie. They'd gone through the entire spectrum of Hogsmeade shops for the hundredth time, but the cut from their daily routines had truly proved enjoyable for Andromeda. The girls had laughed and joked and talked like they used to do, and she had been happy. She had been happy when they had entered the Three Broomsticks. She had been happy when they had sat down at their table, when they had ordered their drinks, when they had laughed after Joy had accidentally spilled some of hers.

But then she had noticed Sophie enter the pub holding hands with Theo Travers, and not too far behind them, Valentine, Carlisle, Curtis and the others had followed, and Andromeda had felt a knot form in her stomach. It had taken her another couple of seconds to realise it was because Bellatrix was not with them. So she had looked out the window. She had waited. And in the corner of the street behind the glass, made harder to see by the rising mist, a group of tall strangers dressed in long black robes. And she thought, maybe, she had caught just a glance of a familiar mane of black curls.

"_Hopefully, the same as yours Meda."_

'Are you gonna tell us what you're thinking?' asked Joy, annoyed.

Andromeda did not bother to look at her. 'I don't know,' she said. 'Just lost in thought.'

'You're always lost in thought, these days!'

'Am I?'

'You are!'

'Oh.'

'What?' asked Paloma all of a sudden. 'Is it because of us? Are we boring you? Are we bothering you?'

'Of course not,' replied Andromeda and this time she was the one that was annoyed. 'I just –' a drop of blue in the grey blur of the outside caught her eyes. She turned to look. Maggie! 'I've got to talk to Margaret Greengrass,' she blurted, standing up. 'I'll be back.'

She grabbed her handbag and practically ran out of the pub, ignoring the wide-eyed looks of her classmates. She pushed the door open, stormed out, and hurried across the streets, never stopping as long as she could catch sight of her friends behind the windows' glass. Maggie and her friends were only a few feet in front of her. She had passed the windows. She stopped. She took a deep breath and watched as the Ravenclaws continued on, getting further away.

'Thanks,' Andromeda whispered to the wind. She really had needed a reason to escape.

She felt on edge. She didn't know why. She just knew the pub was too crowded and she had started to feel… trapped. Outside, she was glad for the frequent gusts of wind and their chilling cold. She looked around and saw the road to the woods was clear. She started walking.

Sometimes, one needed time alone with their mind's sole company. Andromeda had seen her crave for those moments multiply in a very short amount of time and was still not used to spending time by herself in a place where her solitude could be witnessed by people she knew. Andromeda was glad for the peace, but uncomfortable at the idea of being seen. She kept looking around, worried, trying to seem proud like she always seemed, aloof like she always looked, detached like she often was.

She reached the edge of the woods within a few minutes and stopped at the fence. The road had been devoid of humans – they were probably hiding from the blasting wind – and she was starting to feel more at ease. As she looked out to the tall trees and flush grass, she let her eyes close and her muscles relax. She listened. To the whooshing sound of the breeze ruffling the leaves, to the excited chirps of the birds fighting the winds, to the clipping sound of the metallic fence against the wood.

The sounds brought her back to older days, when she used to play with her sisters near the woods surrounding Black Manor. One afternoon, Bella and Andy had been pretending to fight with wooden sticks — it had been Bella's idea — and Narcissa had been sitting nearby, laughing. Andromeda remembered that afternoon so clearly… It was summer, a bright warm day in a heavenly landscape. Narcissa's powers had manifested for the first time. She had laughed so hard daffodils had grown at her feet. When she had realised what she had done, her glee had been such that the flowers had turned to butterflies. Andromeda remembered that afternoon so clearly.

**oooOOOooo**

It was getting late. Everybody would be expected back to the carriages soon enough. Andromeda was feeling incredibly light. Incredibly at peace.

Footsteps snatched that peace away. She looked up. Gryffindors. She frowned. There were Hufflepuffs too. Ted Tonks and his classmates.

It had been many days since her last interaction with the muggle-born. She was glad. This boy had been more of a nuisance in the last month that anyone she had ever known in the past six years. Things were sufficiently complicated in her life that she did not need one lowborn filthy mudblood to make it worse.

With these thoughts in mind, she raised her head high and straightened her back, determined to ignore them royally.

'Hey Black!'

She sighed. Of course.

'Where's your bunch of criminals? They ditched you?'

Andromeda hesitated before stopping. Criminals? She turned around slowly and stared straight through the talker's eyes. He was the Gryffindor who had stood up to Bella in the Great Hall, back when they had received the news about the Minister's new reform on Squibs. He was a tall boy, blond, blue eyes. Some sort of Viking. What was his name again? Caradoc Dearborn?

His eyes widened when they met hers.

'Oh,' he blurted. 'You're not Bellatrix.'

Andromeda had already rolled her eyes twenty times in her head. Outside though, she did not move an eyebrow. Dearborn looked hardly sorry, simply surprised, maybe disappointed. She hesitated. Should she simply leave, thus emphasising how he had made a fool of himself, or go ahead and give leave to her curiosity?

A cough.

Tonks?

"_Screw it!"_

'Who are you calling criminals?' she asked in an icy voice.

Dearborn squared his shoulders. 'Like you don't know,' he spat back.

Dark silhouettes… A mane of black curls…

'Forget it, Doc,' intervened a lanky black Hufflepuff with green eyes and curly hair whom Andromeda recognised as Adrian Wispbelly, a prefect.

Andromeda ignored him and took a step towards Dearborn, planting herself on the ground, hands on her hips. 'When a stranger makes ridiculous public assumptions about me, my sisters, or our entourage, it is only descent that he at least offers a hint of knowing what the hell he's talking about,' she hissed.

'Don't answer that, Doc,' warned a girl next to him whom Andromeda recognised as the Muggle-born Deborah Leeswood. Andromeda also could not help but notice that Tonks remained remarkably silent.

'Oh, I'll have proof soon enough,' growled Dearborn.

Andromeda raised both eyebrows. 'Find yourself a hobby,' she said, 'instead on spying on better people out of a desperate need to justify your stupidity by making monsters out of us.'

She turned on her heels and made to leave. Dearborn, however, was not done.

'You don't need me to make yourselves monsters!' he shouted. 'Hurting muggleborns and squibs!'

Andromeda swirled around. 'Aren't you done making things up!' she shouted back.

'You're a liar! I know the truth, my dad works at the Ministry!'

'And the Ministry is about as competent at its job as feetless elves!'

Her father had said that once.

'What a horrible thing to say!' gasped Leeswood.

'Come on, that's enough!' said Wispbelly. Next to him, Tonks was staring at her, still silent. That angered her, for some reason.

'You're just as bad as your sister!' yelled Dearborn. 'Why aren't you killing rats for fun like Bellatrix?'

Something snapped in Andromeda and her wand was out of her pocket before she could even process what she was doing. She didn't know what she was doing. All she knew was that blood was pulsing in her temple, her heart pounded inside her chest, and she was angry.

'Do not ever insult my family again.'

'What's going on here?' called a voice inches behind Andromeda.

Andromeda jumped, terrified. Even deaf she would recognise this voice: Bellatrix.

She turned around. Bellatrix looked mighty in a black gown which contrasted with the paleness of her skin. Behind her stood three men who Andromeda knew very well and whose shear presence sent shivers up her spine. There was Bertram Gibbon, a lanky redhead with a bony face and a cruel look in his eyes. Next to him stood a big blond boy sporting a pathetic moustache above his lipless mouth called Thorfinn Rowle. The two of them used to be the leaders of a rather large group of Slytherins back in their Hogwarts days. Bellatrix, and by extension, Andromeda, Narcissa and Sophie, had also been part of that group. But Andromeda had never cared for Bertram, who was as dumb as he was cruel, and as arrogant as he was incompetent, and Thorfinn, who was nothing but a brainless follower. She had cause enough to fear, knowing their temperament, but she was even more scared by the presence of the third man, a tall, broad-shouldered stranger with sleek black hair and a cane of waxed ebony. Rodolphus Lestrange.

What were these three doing in Hogsmeade? _Oh right_, thought Andromeda, remembering the letter Bellatrix had received from Rodolphus. _It was not been an invitation for a simple date then._

Andromeda turned back to her sister and noticed a hint of exhilaration in her eyes, one that did not bode well for the Gryffindors and the Hufflepuffs. Bellatrix was even smiling at the many shudders and gasps her arrival had caused. Nearly all the students had taken a few steps back and she was glaring at each one of them, one after the other.

Andromeda lowered her wand and tried to control her expression. Her heart was beating madly in her chest as she realised that she was worried for them. She truly feared that Bellatrix would hurt them. If not her, then one of the men following her.

'What's going on here?' Bellatrix asked again.

Andromeda opened her mouth, closed it again, paused. She walked towards Bellatrix and put an appeasing hand on her arm. The one holding the wand.

'It's nothing,' she said in an almost whisper. 'Let's get away from here. They're not worth it.'

She had to lead them as far away from Dearborn and the Hufflepuffs as possible. But Bellatrix was not inclined. Rodolphus, Bertram and Thorfinn were now taking their wands out of their pockets with a menacing look in their eyes. They did not seem inclined to leave either.

'Come on, Andy…' drawled Bella, glaring back at the Hufflepuffs with a wolfish grin. 'I heard you. They were insulting the family.' Andromeda bit her lip. Bellatrix took it as confirmation. 'Which one?' She asked, and there was no amusement in her voice this time.

Caradoc Dearborn stepped forward, a hand in his back pocket. Andromeda cursed him internally. Did he really think he was being discreet?

'That was me,' he said. 'I said you were a bunch of sadistic criminals.'

Bella raised an eyebrow. Andromeda struggled not to show how horrified she felt.

'Watch your mouth, half-blood!' spat Bertram, raising his wand.

'This guy's Caradoc Dearborn,' informed Thorfinn. 'His father works with mine at the Ministry. His mother's a muggle.'

'Disgusting animal…' muttered Bellatrix.

'Hey, back off!' intervened Wispbelly.

'Adrian, wait,' said Tonks.

'No, let him come at us if he's not scared to lose his limbs,' taunted Bertram.

'You people are mad!' shouted Dearborn.

'No, you are!' replied Bellatrix. 'How dare you even _look_ at a member of the Black Family!'

'Bella, let's go, they're not worth it,' said Andromeda, grabbing her sister and trying desperately to drag her away.

'Because you think you're worth anything?' said Dearborn, to Andromeda's despair. 'Everything's given to you on a silver plate!'

'That's because we come from the most ancient and respectable of families! Our blood is pure, not tainted like yours!'

'You! –'

'EXPELIARMUS!' shouted Bellatrix.

Caradoc Dearborn's wand flew right into her hand.

'Did you just _try_ to _curse_ me?' she shrieked. Andromeda held her breath. Dearborn did not answer though. A murderous flame shone in his eyes. 'Fine,' said Bellatrix, and her voice was so low it was barely audible. 'I'll kill you right now, then.'

She raised her wand, Dearborn's hands flew before his face in a vain attempt to protect himself, Wispbelly and Ted jumped in front of him and yet… Bellatrix stopped, hand still in the air. Everything froze. Slowly, Bellatrix lowered her hand. Her voice was still as threatening as ever when she spoke again.

'What are you doing?' she asked.

Standing in front of her, arms open in a cross, Andromeda was doing her best to calm her madly beating heart and the frantic shivers of her body.

'Bella, this is going to get us into trouble!' She said in a strong voice. Bellatrix paused. Andromeda frowned deeper. 'Bella, these people are not worth our time, and certainly not worth us getting detention!'

Seconds passed in silence, the latter only broken by the whooshing sound of the wind. Bellatrix and Andromeda were staring in each others' eyes, seemingly oblivious to the tensed souls surrounding them. But Andromeda was not oblivious. She simply hoped with all her might that they would keep their mouths shut and not provoke Bellatrix to the point of no return, because she could see in her sister's cold, black stare that they did not see eye-to-eye. Bellatrix believed these people worthless and deserving of punishment. Detention would be an honour, in her eyes, for having done something right.

Andromeda almost lowered her arms. Of course she would not convince Bellatrix. She had failed protecting those idiotic muggle-lovers and had put herself in danger in the process. Bellatrix would probably think she was sympathising with them and hurt her as well for being a blood traitor. She cringed, expecting to feel pain.

But to her surprise, Bellatrix did lower her wand and, slowly, put it back inside the pocket of her robe. At the same time, she carelessly threw Dearborn's wand to the ground. Andromeda, feeling inexorably relieved, nodded once. Bellatrix addressed a simple hand gesture to the boys behind her and together they departed.

Everything was still silent. Bellatrix seemed to be thinking. Andromeda refused to look back.

'We should have blasted them all into oblivion…' muttered Rodolphus after they had put some distance between them and the others. He was glaring at Andromeda.

Bellatrix exchanged a glance with her. They stared. Both remained silent.


	8. Tonks's Mistake

**CHAPTER 8  
****Tonks's Mistake**

* * *

'I don't understand,' said Narcissa. 'Why would he attack Andy of all people? She can be insufferable but she has never actually hurt anyone, unlike you.'

'I don't know,' Bellatrix replied with a shrug. 'Ask Andy.'

Both turned to Andromeda expectantly and Andromeda sighed.

'Dearborn thought I was Bellatrix,' she admitted, passing a hand in her hair. 'He said Bella was hanging out with criminals, hurting squibs and muggleborns.'

Silence echoed in the dormitory as Bellatrix stiffened, opening wide, angry eyes, and Narcissa looked between her sisters with a confounded expression.

'You did not tell me that when I asked you what had happened, earlier,' she hissed, her voice dangerously low.

Andromeda refused to cower. 'I didn't think it was important.'

'What did he say exactly?'

'That you were hanging out with criminals.'

'What does he know?'

'You mean it's true?' exclaimed Narcissa, wide-eyed.

'Shh, Cissy!' warned Andromeda angrily.

The three sisters looked around but there was no one besides them in the dormitory. Bellatrix had ordered Narcissa's dormmates to leave so that they could have privacy.

Narcissa turned back to Bellatrix and repeated, 'Is it true?'

Bellatrix looked briefly between the both of them before tutting, seemingly annoyed.

'Of course not. I just want to know what makes him think he's right.'

All eyes turned to Andromeda.

'He said his father worked at the ministry,' she said simply.

Narcissa frowned. 'So, what? It's not like Bella's going to Azkaban,' she said. Her eyes widened slightly. 'Or is it?'

Bella groaned. 'Of course not. This boy is just making things up. Disgusting half-blood…'

Andromeda nodded fervently. 'That's what I told him. That he was just trying to make himself feel important by insulting us even though we had done nothing wrong.'

Bella smiled for the first time since they had come back from Hogsmeade. 'That's right. Well said, Andy. You always have the right words for everything.'

Andromeda beamed. Narcissa, however, was not quite satisfied.

'So what? He was jealous of us so he went ahead and tried to pick a fight with one of the single most important people in this entire school?'

Andromeda and Bellatrix exchanged a look. 'I suppose so,' said Andromeda.

'He had quite a crew behind him,' added Bellatrix. 'He must have felt confident.'

'But that is ridiculously daft!' exclaimed Narcissa, outraged.

'Well, you know…' sighed Andromeda.

'Gryffindors...' groaned Bellatrix.

'What happened afterwards?' asked Narcissa.

'He said Bella was a monster. I took out my wand and told him not to talk that way about us ever again. Then Bella showed up, with Bertram, Finn, and Rodolphus Lestrange. I had to stop them from destroying the Dearborn and the others, and we departed calmly and peacefully without committing murder.'

Narcissa nodded thoughtfully. 'Okay, so where was Bella and why was she not with Sophie and Lucius —'

'Lucius?'

'Malfoy?'

'— instead of Gibbon and Rowle? And is Rodolphus Lestrange that guy you said you met at Liantris's party where I wasn't invited?'

Andromeda and Bellatrix exchanged a playful smirk.

'Lucius?' teased Andromeda.

'Do I usually stay with Lucius Malfoy?' snarled Bellatrix.

Narcissa rolled her eyes. 'He told me he would be staying with the older students, this weekend,' she said.

Bellatrix raised an eyebrow. 'Well I certainly did not notice him then.'

'Then again, Bella, you _weren't_ with the group, were you?' Andromeda pointed out.

Bella tsked. 'I was. At the beginning.'

'Hmm…'

'In any case, Cissy, yes, Rodolphus is the guy from the party. We've been exchanging letters and we were supposed to meet at Hogsmeade. He's friends with Berty and Finn, they're the same age. That's why I was with them.'

Cissy scrunched her nose for a few seconds, thinking. 'Fine. But you said Dearborn attacked you outside the village.'

'Not outside the village per say,' corrected Andromeda. 'Just near the edge of the woods.'

'What were you doing there?'

'Merlin, Cissy, why on earth do you care? We had just gone for a walk!' grunted Bellatrix.

Andromeda did not know what Bella had been doing there either. She had been given the same answer as Narcissa when she had asked, but Andromeda was not convinced.

'Why were _you_ alone, Andy?' reprised Narcissa.

'I needed some air.'

'I thought you had gone with your friends?'

'I have. It was nice, but then I needed some air, so I left.' The look Bellatrix and Narcissa gave her mixed mild worry and disbelief. Andromeda thought she even noticed a pinch of pity in her younger sister's. 'What? Does it never happen to you to have a good time with someone but just – want a break?' she asked sincerely.

'No,' replied Narcissa.

Bellatrix said nothing but continued to stare at her. Andromeda shrugged and stood up with a sigh. She knew a lost cause when she saw one.

'Whatever,' she said. 'I'm going to bed.'

'Are you upset?' exclaimed Narcissa, sounding much more outraged than worried.

'No, I'm tired. I've just been aggressed, remember?'

Narcissa opened her mouth, closed it. 'Right. Good night, then.'

Bellatrix yawned and announced she, too, was going to sleep.

Andromeda went to bed immediately, careful not to waken her five roommates. After she had come back to the Three Broomsticks with Bella and her friends, she had gone to Joy and her other classmates to inform them that she would be staying with her sister. They had been surprised and she had sworn to tell them everything later. She had kept her promise when they had been back inside the castle. Joy had been scandalised by the agressors' behaviour. After a few minutes of her voicing loudly her opinion, Andromeda had left the dormitory, claiming she had forgotten something in the Common Room and stumbled into Narcissa who had ordered her to give her all the details.

Andromeda had been nearly irreproachable in her telling of the day; she had simply omitted a few details, a few precisions about her feelings at the time. She had not, for one, told anybody about how scared she had been at the implications regarding her sister. She had not told how worried she had been when she had had to stand between Bellatrix's drawn wand and a half-blood. She had not told how disappointed she had been in Ted Tonks.

Ted Tonks.

She had looked at him and she had seen him look back. She had looked at him, knowing that though they had barely exchanged a few words, he must have known that she was not a criminal, and that if she was not a criminal, there was no reason to think her sister was. She remembered smiling to him in the owlery. She remembered smiling to him in the kitchens. She remembered being polite, being correct with him, even when she had no obligation to be, even when no one would have expected her to be. Yet he, when his friend had insulted her and her family, had remained still and silent. He, when she had taken out her wand and threatened Dearborn before his eyes, had watched wordlessly.

Had she expected him to intervene? Not necessarily. But she had wanted him to. Not that she thought everybody was good and someone with whom she had talked a couple of times only was bound to express great loyalty, but she certainly believed that the extraordinary civility which she had shown him deserved more recognition than, well, nothing.

Of course, she should not have been surprised. Muggle-borns were muggle-borns. They could not be trusted like wizards – true wizards – could. Her father had said, once, that muggle-borns still held in them their parents' hatred for magic. It was only natural after all. Andromeda did not hate muggle-borns like some did. But she did think it obvious that they could not be on the same level, neither in terms of magic nor ethic, as true-born witches and wizards. She would not hate them for it. Hate led to war and violence and the last war, Grindelwald's war, had been catastrophic for all sides, though only the dark wizard's supporters were sent to Azkaban. But behaviours like Tonks's made it very hard for her not to give credit to Bellatrix's occasional remarks.

And so she went to sleep, praying to never cross paths with him ever again. Naturally, her prayers were not answered, because the very next day, Tonks did something very, very, stupid.

**oooOOOooo**

On a cloudy Sunday evening, during dinner, Ted Tonks attempted to talk to her at the Slytherin table.

Andromeda was eating calmly, surrounded by her classmates, her sisters, her sisters' classmates, other people desperate to breathe the same air as them… Slytherins. She was laughing with Michaela about an incident that had happened in Transfiguration earlier during the day and thus distracted, was one of the last people to take notice of his presence. The silence was what tipped her off. Michaela's wide eyes focused somewhere behind her shoulder was what made her turn around to see.

And she saw. Ted Tonks. He was never particularly tall, probably her height, but in this moment, he looked surprisingly short with his curved back, raised shoulders, neck tucked in and eyes looking down. He looked miserably uncomfortable and the red glow on his cheeks only added to his pitiful aspect. At the sight of him, Andromeda felt a knot in her throat and like a tuck in her stomach: he was going to be eaten alive if he stayed a second longer.

He stayed a second longer. He stayed more than a second longer. He approached Andromeda timidly and stopped only a few feet from her.

'Andromeda —' he started, his honey voice lower than she had ever heard. At least he was looking her in the eyes.

Unfortunately, he would never have the chance to express what he had come for.

'What on earth do you think you're doing?' asked Carlisle rather sourly.

'You're that mudblood git!' exclaimed Curtis.

'Hufflepuff table is on the other side of the Hall, loser,' chimed in Rita Skeeter.

Tonks had not even emitted a sound. His hazel eyes wandered around frantically for a few seconds, overwhelmed, before soon returning to Andromeda. As soon as their stares connected, she rid herself of the last of her confusion and put on her usual mask; here more than anywhere, she must not look friendly with a muggle-born, for both their sakes. So the look she gave him contained a drop of contempt and disdain.

Tonks frowned. He opened his mouth in a new attempt to talk but was interrupted once more when Bellatrix stood up.

'What do you want?' she asked threateningly. Tonks looked up at her, briefly, then back at Andromeda, then Bellatrix again… 'I said, what do you want, _mudblood_?' she repeated between clenched teeth so as not to be heard by the teachers throwing them suspicious glances from across the Hall.

Surprisingly, Tonks did not look half as shy now as he did when he had first come. He straightened his back and held Bella's stare. He did shiver and blink more than necessary for the average human, but despite that and his frantic gulping, he did not admit defeat.

'I just –' he started.

'You're not welcome here,' interrupted Curtis, rising on his feet as well. 'Blood like yours… It smells,' he added with a smirk. Carlisle laughed. So did Valentine who was sitting nearby.

'Get out of my sight before I curse you to hell,' warned Bellatrix icily, taking no notice of the other boys. Tonks's eyes wavered. He glanced at Andromeda once more. Andromeda frowned and turned away, focusing on her plate instead. Bellatrix clenched her teeth. 'And stay away from my sister you freak!' she exclaimed.

Tonks looked up, surprised. 'I didn't – '

'Disgusting mudblood…'

'Who does he think he is…'

And in the midst of the harsh words, some glimpses of sanity:

'Stop it people, the poor bloke has barely said a word.'

'Again with the m-word? Really?'

Andromeda felt her ears buzzing with all the noise. She did not like this situation. She did not like being the centre of attention in a situation whose creation was completely out of her hands. She did not like that rumours would probably spread after this incident. She did not like that some Slytherins seemed on the brink of fighting over this. She did not like that she was not in control. So she decided maybe she should be.

Her spoon dropped from her hand and onto the plate with a loud clatter. Probably because she was Andromeda Black, certainly because she was a main character in this entire drama, everyone became silent and turned to look at her. Slowly, she shifted from her plate to Tonks. Her eyes filled with boredom and disdain, she curled her upper lip and looked him up and down.

'Go away,' she ordered like it was the most obvious course of action and he should already have taken it a few moments ago.

Tonks froze for what seemed like ages and stared back at her. She refused to look away. She would not. So she locked eyes with him and with each passing second accentuated the scorn on her face. She did not realise she was holding her breath until he nodded, suddenly, curtly, and turned on his heel to leave.

'Yeah, that's right!'

'Never come back, scum!'

'Find yourself a map or something, you know, to not get lost, you know, because he couldn't –'

'We got it Bulstrode.'

'I can't believe he dared – '

'Yeah, I don't know what went over him…'

'Talking to Andromeda Black? What even did he want?'

'Do you think they've talked before?'

'But he's a – '

Andromeda coughed loudly enough to bring silence back to her surroundings. She raised her eyes slowly. Severe glares met Curtis, then Carlisle, then Valentine, then the rest of their merry band of bright bullies.

'He's gone, isn't he? Forget about it. That scum.'

Some people nodded, others hummed. Within a few minutes, nobody was talking about Ted Tonks anymore. Andromeda barely dared look up for the rest of the meal, too afraid to meet anyone's eyes. Real fear only hit her, and brutally so, when she accidentally shared a glance with her sister Narcissa. Bellatrix had already forgotten, it seemed, as she partook in some passionate conversation with Sophie, but Narcissa was staring at her so intensely Andromeda felt naked. Old reflexes kicked in and she started building an Occlumency wall inside her head. It was fast and flawless. Narcissa frowned, as though she could have felt it, and turned away. She had always been extraordinarily observant when she deigned focus on something other than her own reflection.

**oooOOOooo**

Andromeda was not further addressed during dinner. When she lay on the sofa near the fireplace, back at their Common Room, and when no one had come to bother her after her classmates had left for the dorms, she sincerely thought the story was already forgotten. She was wrong, of course. She knew it as soon as she saw the look on Narcissa's face when she sat across from her.

Still, Andromeda decided to try her luck.

'You're not going to bed?' she asked.

Narcissa's face was marble. 'Who was he?'

'Who?'

Her sister was not amused. 'The Hufflepuff boy that tried to talk to you during dinner.'

Andromeda shrugged and shifted her eyes back to the fire. 'How would I know?' she said, sounding bored.

'Why would he come and talk to you?'

'I don't know.'

'You didn't look surprised.'

'I didn't have time to look surprised. Everyone was already at his throat.'

'You don't know him?'

Andromeda let out a deep sigh and spared another long glance at her sister. Many had told Andromeda that she appeared emotionless. Bellatrix had praised her once for containing her thoughts so well. Yet Andromeda knew that her little sister was a hundred times better at this than she would ever be. Narcissa was utterly unreadable. She looked like a porcelain doll in this instant, upright as she was, her pale face devoid of feeling, her words empty of tone. She was still beautiful in her stillness, pretty as she always was. Andromeda wondered if others felt the tinge of fear she did when her sister was like that, when she became a mystery.

Maybe it was because she was scared that she decided not to pretend too much. Lying and hiding some truths were, Andromeda believed, two very different things. Both had to be used carefully and contextually for maximum efficiency.

'I just know he's a Hufflepuff in my year. I'm fairly certain his name is Ted Tonks. I bumped into him at the beginning of the year and that's the only time we've interacted.'

Narcissa's eyes twitched, the first semblance of expression on her face since she had appeared. 'Ted Tonks? The one who broke his arm last year and cannot play Quidditch anymore?'

'I suppose.'

'What did he want with you?'

Andromeda shrugged. 'I told you already; no idea.'

Narcissa's jaw clenched. 'That's not possible. No one would do something so ridiculous without feeling legitimate in his action.'

'Narcissa,' started Andromeda, sitting back up and staring her sister right in the eyes. 'What do you want exactly? Why are you here, playing Auror with me?'

For once, the youngest sister did not reply right away. She seemed to hesitate and her lips quivered slightly. A few moments later, Andromeda sighed.

'Look, I remember he was one of the Hufflepuffs at Hogsmeade,' she admitted finally. 'Maybe, I don't know, he felt bad and came to apologise. Or maybe he wanted to tell me something about a prefects meeting; I always see him hanging out with the Hufflepuff prefect.'

She had thought for a long time about those two possibilities, actually. She had had a hard time imagining the boy, who stood there and did nothing when his friends ganged up on her, come to ask for an apology in front of the entire Slytherin House, but she could not simply discard the idea. That he would come to her instead of Wispbelly seemed even less likely, but she had a hard time finding out better reasons. At least she was being fairly honest with Cissy.

Her little sister seemed to feel that there was no catch as her face thawed back into that of the charming young girl with a pale face and rosy cheeks that everybody could not help but fall head-over-heels for. Throwing her magnificent blond curls behind one shoulder she allowed herself a shy smile. It did not look shy so much as adorable.

'That makes sense,' she said in an almost-whisper. Her voice was clear, high and melodic as always. 'I'm sorry I started sounding suspicious. It's just so weird. Those Hufflepuffs suddenly popping into your life… it feels… wrong somehow, you know?'

Andromeda stayed very still for half a second. _Wrong? _She nodded.

'Yes. I don't know why this is suddenly happening. I just hope they stay away from now on.'

Narcissa looked at her pensively for a few seconds before swiftly moving to sit beside her. Like the cat that she was, she curled up against Andromeda and encircled her waist with her arms.

'Can I ask you something?' she whispered.

Andromeda smiled tenderly. Whenever it was just the sisters together, with or without Bella, and Narcissa needed comforting, she would always ask that question before pouring her heart out. Softly, Andromeda passed her fingers between the blonde's soft curls and nodded.

Narcissa lost her gaze in the fire. 'Do you feel like Bellatrix's being distant these days?' she asked.

_Ah_, thought Andromeda. _So that's what it's about._

'What do you want to know?'

Narcissa hesitated. 'Is she getting herself into trouble?'

'Bellatrix is smart, Cissy,' was Andromeda's answer. Honestly, she shared her little sister's doubts, but Bellatrix was… Bellatrix. Andromeda would not incriminate her in front of anyone, not even Narcissa. 'Don't trouble yourself with all these questions. Bella is very busy, this is her last year at Hogwarts, she's probably crawling under homework and she doesn't show it. You should focus on yourself, okay?'

"Focus on yourself" was an argument that usually worked with Narcissa. It proved effective once more when the young girl nodded once and, her lids heavy from fatigue, left for her dorm. Andromeda thought she ought to do the same but she found her mind was too troubled for sleep. Ted Tonks… Hufflepuffs… war… would there be war?

_"Which side will you be on?"_

_"Hopefully, the same as yours, Meda…"_

But which side was that, Maggie? Would it be the same as Bellatrix's? Bellatrix, who had appeared out of nowhere in Hogsmeade, flanked by three boys who looked all too ready to cast spells at younger students? Bellatrix who had admitted being ready to curse those students without hesitation or guilt had Andromeda not stopped her? Bellatrix who had, since that excursion at Hogsmeade, been more distant and distracted than ever?

Was Maggie's side Ted Tonks's side? The muggle-born who had, at dinner, been reminded again of just how insignificant and powerless he was within the wizarding community? Should she care, Andromeda, that he had not even been able to utter more than two words? And what had he come to her for anyway?

'Do you ever sleep?'

Andromeda jumped and swirled around.

'Liantris?'

Liantris smiled, amused. 'Eyesight, check!' he laughed.

'What are you doing here?'

'Have I never told you?' he replied as he took a seat on the armchair across from her. 'I am insomniac. I like to hang out around the Common Room when the House sleeps.'

Andromeda looked at him carefully. He sounded surprisingly serious, he who usually never showed much more than amusement. He was incredibly handsome in the firelight.

'You never did…' she whispered back. _Not even when we dated_, she thought.

'Tell, Meda, why didn't you let Bellatrix harm those Hufflepuffs?' he asked suddenly.

Andromeda frowned. 'I did not want any trouble,' she replied carefully.

Liantris turned to look at the fire. 'But what if there had been no consequences?'

'What do you mean?'

'Imagine if we were in a world were hurting muggleborns was not seen as a crime. Would you have let Bella hurt them, then? For insulting you and your family?'

Vein pulsing in her neck, Andromeda struggled not to clench her fist. 'Why do you ask?' Liantris locked eyes with her and waited. 'I don't know,' Andromeda said truthfully and frankly, surprising herself by doing so.

But then, she realised that she did not know what she should have answered. Liantris… They had known each other since they were children and had dated for a few months when she was in fourth year, but thinking back on it, how much did she truly know him? Liantris was fun, Liantris was smart and Liantris was kind to his friends. But what did Liantris believe? Should she have said "yes" or "no"? Should she say "mudblood" or "muggle-born" in his presence? Should she have reiterated her loyalty to her family, insulted the Hufflepuff House, incriminated her sister…? He was one of the very few people she could not read, could not understand. The scary part was, she had never really minded before…

She felt a hint of anxiousness when she saw him smile ever so slightly, eyes still on her. It was one of those smiles he carried with him everywhere he went. It was a familiar smile. For the first time she realised that it did not carry over to his eyes.

'You're too tense, love,' he said in an amused tone that did not ring genuine to her anymore. 'I talked to Maggie earlier. I thought you'd go to Hogsmeade with her…'

'She refused,' she replied defensively.

Liantris chuckled. 'I know, I know… I'm not blaming you or anything. She said she had a great time.' He paused. Silence. He continued, 'I took my brother Aster with me. You know him, right? He's in second year. You should have seen him on the way back, he was reciting all the flower names he knew so that he could carry over the family tradition when he would have kids of his own… Kids… What a foreign idea am I right? I mean, besides the fact that he is twelve years old, you'd think he…'

'What are you here to tell me, Liantris?' snapped Andromeda.

Liantris stopped abruptly. For one very long second, he remained completely still, completely motionless. Finally, he released a long, tired sigh.

'Two things,' he said in a low voice. 'One, I trust you Andromeda Black. Two, I want you to know that you can trust me too.'

He rose from the sofa in one swift motion and left, glancing at her once as he did so. She let him go wordlessly and remained gazing absent-mindedly at the fireplace for a long time.

This night, she went to sleep as confused as ever but too tired to torment herself with an endless stream of questions. Nothing made sense. Maybe it was time for her to stop trying to find any.


	9. Apologies

**CHAPTER 9  
****Apologies**

* * *

Gryffindors held a grudge. It was common knowledge amongst the Slytherin House. If not Gryffindors, then Ravenclaws. Those who did not hold a grudge, however, were the Hufflepuffs. For sure. Right? At least Andromeda was trying very hard to convince herself of that, because everywhere she went, she felt the eyes of bitterness like poisoned blades cursing through to her very soul. In other words, she was under the impression that Ted Tonks was angry at her. Which made no sense! First of all, he should not even have the right to be angry at her; ants did not get angry at humans. Secondly, the only event which could have explained this was his stupidly bonkers attempt to talk to her at the Slytherin table a few days prior, and he could not be angry at her because of that; _he_ had been the stupid one, _she_ had actually saved him from possible physical harm! Well, more of it than he already had most certainly experienced as a muggle-born at Hogwarts… point being, Ted Tonks holding a grudge against her made no sense whatsoever and was completely and utterly unfair and unjustified. If it wasn't, she obviously would not be so worked up about it.

Yet here he was, Ted Tonks, glaring at her in the Great Hall, not smiling at her when she passed him by in the corridors, not apologising to her after accidentally bumping into her in class. Really, she would not care about him at all if he was not clearly going completely out of his way to make himself noticeable. Which at least proved effective in that it actually made her realise something: Ted Tonks was _a person_.

Obviously, she had always known he was a person, but she had never realised it before. She had never seen much more of him than his smiles and blushes before. She had never seen much of him at all actually, considering they had been living inside the same school for six years. Yet there he was, brooding, frowning, ignoring her, sometimes muttering… So different from the gentle boy who gave her a plaster in the owlery and showed her to the kitchens… It did not feel natural, as if the very essence of the cycle of life was crumbling before her eyes. Sort of.

And through all this, she could not help but ask herself… Had she done wrong? She did not know Ted Tonks very well but it seemed fair to assume he was not the type of person to show such bitterness for such a long period of time. That he did, and that his anger was directed at her, meant something that only bothered her further the more she thought about it. Again, she did not _care_ about that muggle-born… she was just… irked. Because it felt wrong and she liked consistency. There.

Thus, in the name of consistency, she had to make things right.

'Say, Maggie…' she started. Maggie did not look up from the rat tail she was chopping with utter disgust. 'Imagine somebody… did something… and you… did something else… that the somebody might have found offensive… but you did it to help them… mostly… but they can't really know that… unless they're really smart, or just decently intelligent… which they clearly aren't –'

'Meda, the point please.'

'Right. If that somebody was possibly offended, would you go and apologise?'

Maggie put down her knife and gave her an exasperated look. 'Why wouldn't you?'

Andromeda made a sound between a sigh and a groan. 'Why would I? I wasn't in the wrong!'

Placing a hand on her hip, Maggie smirked slightly. When she did that, she reminded Andromeda of her brother Liantris. She did not like it.

'Look, Meda,' she said. 'It seems to me like there has been some kind of misunderstanding between you and "somebody". You just need to make it right. Go talk to that person.'

Andromeda bit her lip uneasily. She never used to do that but having spent six years sitting next to Joy in class had rubbed off on her. She did not like that habit; Bellatrix sometimes told her off for doing it. Bellatrix had a lot of weird quirks that —

'Meda, you're zoning out again…'

Brought back to reality, Andromeda threw her hair back and fell into the nearest chair, trying to look dignified.

'But here's the thing,' she said as if nothing had happened. 'What if I don't think I should even have to apologise or justify myself because I think "somebody" just doesn't deserve it?'

Maggie raised an eyebrow. 'Are we talking about Liantris?'

Andromeda raised both eyebrows. 'Not at all, why?'

Maggie seemed visibly relieved. 'I don't know, just to be sure.'

'Did he tell you something?' asked Andromeda suspiciously.

'No, I was just asking,' replied Maggie. 'Why, did something happen?'

_He sat with me late at night, started talking some cryptic and very vague nonsense, then left nonchalantly, leaving me confused and possibly a little scared_, she thought.

'No,' she said. 'I'm asking you.'

'Well – no,' insisted Maggie.

The two girls looked at each other for what felt like a very long time. As Andromeda observed her friend playing uneasily with her short brown curls, visibly chewing the inside of her cheek, she thought it was fairly obvious that Maggie was not saying all the truth. Then again, neither was she. With a sigh, she rose again.

'Whatever,' she said. 'do I apologise?'

Maggie followed her example and went back to work. 'Why would "somebody" not deserve the apology?' she asked.

Andromeda shrugged. 'This and that…'

Maggie threw her a sideways glance that she probably thought Andromeda would not notice. For a few seconds, she did not say anything.

'Maybe you don't have to apologise at all, Meda. Just go to that person and explain your intentions –'

'I shouldn't have to explain –'

'Then don't –'

'But he's angry at me –'

'Then why do you care?' Maggie raised her voice.

Andromeda jumped and slowly turned wide eyes towards her. Maggie had slammed her knife on the wooden table and was now staring at Andromeda with reproach and exasperation. A heavy silence fell between them and spread across the classroom. Andromeda looked up to see that the few other students had all paused what they were doing to throw them curious looks. Controlling her expression, she stepped closer to Maggie who sighed loudly before finally gazing back at her.

'Why do you care so much that he's angry if you think you shouldn't apologise?' she whispered, and though her voice was calm, her eyes were rather cold.

Cold did not match well with Maggie's green eyes, though. Andromeda had seen much colder… still, she hesitated and diverted her gaze.

'I _don't_ care…' she replied.

'Then why ask me?'

Andromeda turned on her heel. 'Clearly it was a mistake,' she said tonelessly.

Maggie opened her mouth to protest but stopped herself at the last second. Whilst Andromeda looked away, she fidgeted with her robes, visibly discomposed, itching to express her thoughts as clearly as they were in her mind. Andromeda made it a point of ignoring her, pretending not to notice her in the corner of her eyes. When finally Maggie spoke again, Andromeda did not show any sign of change.

'Meda,' started Maggie softly. 'It's not a shame to feel bad about something. Apologizing is not a humiliation. It's not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, you just –'

'That's enough, Maggie,' snapped Andromeda, though her voice remained low. 'I'm not talking about this anymore…'

'You came to me, Meda —'

'And now I regret it.'

Both froze as Andromeda's eyes bore into her friend's. Her heart beating into her ears, Andromeda felt sick. She turned to look away, a knot in her throat, trying to remember the last time she had had a fight with Margaret Greengrass, and failing.

The rest of the hour passed painfully slowly for both witches. Even Professor Slughorn took notice of the thick air between them. When it finally came to an end, Margaret tentatively walked over to Andromeda, but just as she started pronouncing her name, the Slytherin threw her bag over one shoulder and, with one last expressionless look, vacated the room.

This was where trust got her. This was why she could trust no one but her sisters.

Of course, she had not gone to either of them for obvious reasons; she would not take the risk of bringing attention to her… link? With the muggleborn. She had not gone to Joy either because she was too close to her every day and might make guesses, ask questions, or simply care too much. It had seemed perfect, then, to seek Margaret's advice; a friend sufficiently distant not to tattle yet sufficiently reliable to offer good advice. Well. She had been wrong. It wouldn't be the first time since the year had begun.

**oooOOOooo**

A few hours later she was sitting by herself under a tree near the Black Lake, throwing rocks she conjured up at the tip of her wand, and every time the clear surface of the water broke and exploded into drops and dripples, Andromeda was reminded of the irony of her name and that lake that her sisters and her had so often claimed to be theirs, just like they had so often claimed that the castle was theirs, that the wizarding world was theirs, that everybody owed them for the simple reason that they existed.

Why was she angry?

Was it because of Maggie? Was it because of Tonks? Was it because of herself? Was it everybody else? Because she was lost and confused and felt like she had no one to talk to? Worse yet, she was not sure what she would talk about. She felt, again, like everyone around her was in on a secret from which she was excluded.

"_You can trust me too, Andromeda Black..."_

"_Then why do you care…?"_

Stupid Greengrasses. They were lucky to be rich, pure and powerful. Nowhere near as rich, pure and powerful as the Blacks but —

"_It was rude…"_ suddenly echoed another voice in the back of her head. What was _it? "But I assumed you had your reasons… I'm not going to tell anyone, I promise…"_ Why did she care…?_ "Are you all right?... You look very pale..."_ She did not care. She did not owe anything to anyone. Not her.

From the corner of her eyes, she saw the few students resting outside rise and run back to the castle. Classes were starting again. She would be late.

Urgh.

Slowly, she rose to her feet.

She took her time to walk back to the castle. Once inside, she barely took notice that the corridors had already emptied. In any case, she did not care about being late to class. Somewhere far at the back of her mind, she wondered if maybe she should care, even worry about her lack of care. But that thought was too far back inside the clusters of her mind and Andromeda had lost all will to go dig it up.

**oooOOOooo**

She reached her Transfiguration classroom more than fifteen minutes late and lingered still in front of the door. Gathering her strength, she took a deep breath and knocked twice, sighing again when she heard the faint "Come in" of professor McGonagall behind the door. Carefully, she pushed it open and, putting on her best innocent face, peaked inside.

The class went silent and all eyes turned to her. Andromeda was used to it and, despite the increased rate of her heartbeats, remained in control of her expression even under the severe gaze of Professor McGonagall.

'You are extremely late, Miss Black,' noted the witch.

Andromeda grimaced apologetically. 'I know, Professor, I'm so sorry,' she said softly. 'I wasn't feeling well.'

McGonagall pursed her lips. 'Did you go to Madame Pomfrey?'

Andromeda made sure to look just a tinge desperate, the desperation of someone who is telling the truth but that no one would believe. 'I couldn't get out of bed, Professor...'

The Transfiguration teacher seemed to hesitate some more but Andromeda Black had for her an almost taintless reputation amongst Hogwarts' staff. And so, when McGonagall resignedly invited her to take a seat, Andromeda successfully contained the triumphant smile she felt tugging at the corner of her lips and moulded her face, instead, into one of guilty relief.

All seats being already taken, Andromeda was forced to sit by herself at the back of the class. As she walked between the aisles, she addressed a friendly nod to Joy — whose questions Andromeda knew she would have to deal with later — and quickly looked away when her eyes found Ted Tonks' not far behind. She had just gone by him when she thought maybe he had looked away too, eyebrows furrowed.

Once she'd fallen into her chair. McGonagall did not lose any more time to carry on despite her interruption. Andromeda calmly took her quill and parchment out of her bag. Tonks had, again, displayed animosity towards her and for the last week, every such display had managed to unnerve her greatly. This time, she found she did not have the energy to torment herself with such thoughts. Sure, he was angry at her. She had coldly and dryly rebutted him in front of her entire House, not even trying to listen to what he had to say. It made perfect sense to her, but obviously, not to him. After all, she had been nice to him in the past, but never when other people were around. This last incident must have finished convincing him that she was the worst hypocrite in the world. Maybe she was. But how else would she survive if not by pretending?

Halfway through class, McGonagall started insisting for everybody to cast the liquifying spell silently. Amongst the laughs and annoyed groans of students, Andromeda concentrated. Bellatrix had already taught her how to cast silent spells during the previous year and even the summer Holidays. The one time a Ministry officer had come to ask about the Underage Magic happening, Andromeda's father had only had to name a few of his friends and acquaintances in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the officer had left with his tail between his legs. As a result, when Professor McGonagall stopped by her desk, she was pleasantly surprised to see Andromeda had already mastered the silent casting of the spell.

'That's impressive, Miss Black,' she said. 'Would you rather go help the others or start ahead on next week's homework?'

'Homework,' answered Andromeda right away.

The shadow of a smile graced McGonagall's face, but she was gone before it could turn into anything too real.

The remaining time of class passed extremely slowly, "_just like this entire day,"_ thought Andromeda. Not only because the homework was, although interesting, too much work for her fed up mind, thus leaving her doodling on her parchment instead, but also because every time she looked up, she found at least one person sneaking sideway glances at her. Sometimes Joy, sometimes Curtis, and too often, Ted Tonks. She actually held his stare, once, just to see. It was almost comical the way he tried to sustain it, the way he so obviously tried to read her. As if she would make it that easy.

He, however, was another story. As she studied his hazel eyes, she realised something; behind the apparent resentment, there was confusion and there was hurt and maybe – but she might be extrapolating – maybe there was a firm determination to remain angry. She frowned. This was too easy. She switched her gaze to his friend Wispbelly instead. There was another form of bitterness in this one's look – understandably so – and something like suspicion. He was harder to read than most but doable. But Tonks? Tonks was an open book. Did he do it on purpose? Was he some sort of genius actor? She focused on him again and a knot formed in her throat. It was a strange feeling, not the knot she was used to. He had turned back to Wispbelly and looked so resigned and miserable it reminded Andromeda of a sad puppy. Silent casting must not have been for him.

And it was evident, just then, that this boy was not pretending. Maybe he never did. Maybe he did not know how to. Or maybe he did not ever want to.

Weird.

So weird in fact that by the end of class, she found herself hurriedly shoving her books into her bag and immediately telling her friends to go on without her, wordlessly pointing her chin towards McGonagall. But Andromeda had no intention whatsoever of talking to McGonagall. Instead, she was carefully eyeing Ted Tonks, checking that he would not leave before all the Slytherins had.

And he didn't, but instead, was soon surrounded by most of his fellow Hufflepuffs. Andromeda had noticed the badgers' tendency to function in very large groups and had more than once noted how annoying that was. She was still hoping that he would somehow branch out from the rest of them as they were nearing the door, but she saw no signs he would.

Gathering her strength, she stood up, threw her bag over one of her shoulders and followed the Hufflepuffs. Once in the corridor, she was relieved to see they had not yet turned around the corner. Running being a near taboo in her world (poor people ran because they were messy and unkempt, decent people walked because they were poised and collected), she hurried to reach them and once she was close enough, raised her voice ever so slightly:

'Tonks!' she called, and for some reason, this time, the name sounded odd in her mouth.

She hadn't spoken that loud, really, but all the kids turned around. She stopped in her tracks; she was making enough of an effort, going to talk to him, he should at least be the one to walk back towards her. He, however, seemed hesitant to do so. She waved at him to hurry but he had frozen completely. She was about to give up when Wispbelly finally pushed him in the back, forcing him towards Andromeda, while he himself disappeared around a corner.

Visibly uncomfortable, Tonks trotted towards her hesitantly. She waited for him to reach her and once he did, made sure to wait a little before speaking so that he would feel even more uneasy and she would be even more in control. It worked, naturally. Tonks was too easy to handle.

'You're angry because of last Thursday, aren't you?' she asked suddenly.

Tonks, who had carefully averted her eyes until now, looked up, surprised.

'Err — well I — well — yes, but… — How did you even — Why…?' he blurted.

Andromeda sighed because otherwise, she might have laughed. 'Whatever,' she cut him off. 'I wanted to apologise on behalf of my classmates,' because it was their fault, not hers. Her heart was beating like crazy because she was so obviously right. It felt great. Obviously.

'Oh… err… thanks?'

They exchanged a look. _Well_, thought Andromeda, _he just made it weird…_

She inhaled loudly, ready to leave, but he blocked her path.

'Actually,' he said, his voice unnaturally strained. 'I — err — I wasn't angry… at you… not really…'

'Ah,' replied Andromeda. For once, she was legitimately unsure of what he truly meant.

'I mean, I – Hum… I know that you tried to help me… Right?' he added.

She didn't reply. Even she was not sure why. It was so easy to say "No, why would Ibever want to help you?". Then again, she did enjoy getting the recognition she obviously deserved…

'So…' continued Ted, very red by now. 'I guess I should thank you…'

'Yes,' she chimed in right away. 'And your welcome.' _Now to the point. _'But let me be clear on one thing, here,' she added, speaking fast and not looking him in the eyes. 'We're not… friendly, or anything. You shouldn't have come in the first place. I don't know why you thought you could. You –'

'Because I only wanted to apologise, and we've been in the same class since we were eleven.'

Andromeda tsked, annoyed. 'That's no relevant.'

'How is it not – ?'

'Just don't do it again, okay?' she nearly shouted.

He hesitated for a second. 'Trust me, I wasn't going to…' he whispered.

She looked up at his eyes and felt sorry at the hurt behind them. Before it could show on her face, she shook it off and coughed timidly.

'Well, there you go,' she said. 'I don't have anything more to say.'

She stepped away, going towards her Common Room, but Tonks stopped her once more.

'Wait!' he called. 'Why can't we be friends?' he asked timidly.

She could have slapped him.

'Because –' she started, ready to rant at him about the hundreds of thousands of perfectly valid reasons why they couldn't. But then she her eyes met his hazel ones and she felt caught like a fly in a spider's web. She paused. _Huh. Where had all those reasons gone to?_

Tonks smiled nearly triumphantly. 'I think –'

'Because I don't want to,' snapped Andromeda. Maybe a little too brusquely because Tonks actually wavered. 'And for a number of other reasons that you are not entitled to know about.'

She looked him up and down and he retreated, as if offended. By the look in his eyes, he was probably more disappointed than anything.

'You just apologised to me, though…' he whispered, staring at her. 'So it's not like you don't care about me at all.'

She was momentarily caught off guard. 'Well… I just thought –' she stopped herself before she could say too much. Talking too much was bad for her image; the less people knew what was going on inside her mind, the better. 'Whatever. I got to go.'

She hurried away before he could stop her once more and nearly sighed in relief when he didn't. But then –

'Bye!' he called.

She could almost hear the smile in his words. And the most horrible thing happened then as, before her powerless eyes, her mouth opened and she replied: 'Bye.'

_Urgh! Stupid!_ But it was a habit and there was nothing she could do about it. Nothing except not look back and hope he didn't hear her answer, she thought, a second too late for she had already turned back and already seen the small smile drawing dimples in his cheeks and that meant he had, indeed heard her.

"_Shit_," she thought as she continued towards her Common Room.

At least, she felt like the aura of Margaret Greengrass swimming inside her conscience like an angel of reason had finally gone back to its happy fresh grass green colour, and not the angry red one Andromeda had been feeling ever since their talk earlier during the day. She was almost smiling as she reached her dormitory, feeling lighter from having done the right thing.

The right thing being clearly establishing Tonks' boundaries, of course. Her sisters would be proud. They could never know, of course, but they would be proud and that, more than anything, made her feel right.


	10. The Pen of Doom

**CHAPTER 10  
The Pen of Doom**

* * *

Andromeda, apparently, had not been as successful in establishing Tonks's boundaries as she thought she had been.

Indeed, when she arrived in the Charms classroom the next day, she found Joy waiting for her at their usual desk and froze. Joy was not what made her freeze. What made her freeze was the sight of a sturdy boy of average height with square jaws and bright hazel eyes, sitting just behind her seat in class. It was only a second before she regained her composure, but she was certain that during that second, Ted Tonks had noticed the surprise in her eyes be replaced by dismay, then anger, then a cold, arrogant disregard.

When she sat down, she swore she could feel the warmth of his eyes on her back. She ignored it, naturally, but her insides were squirming. _He did not use to sit here!_ she thought angrily.

Annoyed at the muggleborn probably smirking evilly behind her back, she did not notice Joy's worried glances in her direction until the poor girl finally dared to speak.

'I feel like I'm asking this every other day, now, but are you angry with me?' she asked softly.

Andromeda nearly jumped. 'What? No,' she said, surprised, before realising she had been rather rude to her friend. 'Oh, Merlin, I'm sorry Joy. I was thinking of something else!' she tried to give her a reassuring smile and Joy looked slightly appeased. 'And I'm sorry for how I acted in Hogsmeade as well,' she continued, her voice apologetic and sincere. 'I know I haven't been spending a lot of time with you. It's just, these days, I've been… I don't know, worried about a whole lot of things.'

Joy nodded gently. 'I understand,' she said, 'you have a lot of expectations on you. It's normal you'd be on edge from time to time.'

Andromeda felt a sudden burst of gratefulness warm her insides and spread to her entire being. She had never realised just how much she had wanted to hear those words and, looking at Joy, just how comforting it was to hear them from a person she had called a friend since they were eleven. Thankful, she put a hand on the girl's shoulder and they both exchanged a tender smile.

'Thanks,' whispered Andromeda.

Joy replied with a simple nod.

It was a nice moment of friendship and understanding, like a haven of peace in Andromeda's recently bumpy existence, that had occurred in a time more than essential on the complex ride that formed her existence. That was probably why she was not surprised to see it so immediately ruined by the loud chuckles of the two Hufflepuffs sitting behind them.

Both Andromeda and Joy looked above their shoulders with murder in their cold eyes. The two boys did not notice right away how dire of a situation they were in. Tonks was hiding his laughter behind the long sleeve of his Hogwarts robe, turned towards his friend Adrian Wispbelly. Him and Tonks were always together.

They were still laughing as she glared at them, but their hilarity seemed to be directed at a drawing Wispbelly had doodled on his piece of parchment rather than at her and Joy, which Andromeda had initially thought. Not in the mood for unnecessary conflict, she was about to turn around and forget all about them to concentrate on Professor Flitwick's class, the which had already started five minutes ago, but Joy seemed to think otherwise.

'What are you laughing about?' she whispered angrily.

Tonks' eyes shot up, and his smile faded, replaced by a look of innocent surprise, like a kid being scolded for something he did not know was bad. Andromeda nearly smiled at the sight of him. She stopped herself, remembering he had ignored her speech about boundaries (although now that she thought about it, she had never told him that sitting behind her in class was forbidden...) Wispbelly, on the other hand, did not look half as concerned. He raised his head slowly to meet Joy's glare, one eyebrow up and a look of utter boredom in his eyes.

'What's it to you?' he retorted in a nasally voice.

Joy glared harder. 'Just keep your mouth shut,' she spat, and Andromeda was surprised at her hostility.

Wispbelly's bored expression turned into a dissatisfied frown, but it was Tonks, next to him, who replied.

'What did we do?' he asked, and he sounded honestly inquisitive.

Joy's certitudes visibly wavered as she bit her lip. She probably only just realised they had not been laughing at them at all, which made her the one in the wrong. If only to dodge any chance of more second-hand embarrassment, Andromeda grabbed her shoulder gently and turned her back to the front. Thankful for the elegant save, Joy obliged.

Andromeda was ready to forget the incident completely, but Wispbelly apparently was not.

'Aren't you going to apologise?' he called.

Andromeda tried to warn her, tell her to simply ignore him, but her petite friend had already spun back towards him, her long ponytail flapping the air behind her, and was throwing him another murderous glare.

'Not to you, no!' she snapped, a little too loud for Andromeda's liking.

'Because you're too proud?' provoked Wispbelly.

'Because you're not worth it,' insisted Joy.

_Well, this felt familiar._

Now, Andromeda did have a strong sense of loyalty. As a matter of principle, she would always defend her friends against whoever else they needed defending from. However, she felt completely legitimate in disproving them mentally, which she could not help but do as she watched, annoyed and already bored, the purposeless argument in which Joy had thrown herself. Was Wispbelly right in demanding an apology for having been unfairly insulted and rudely addressed? Yes. Was Joy in the wrong for not offering that apology? Probably. Was she, Andromeda, going to accept that the argument was inevitable and therefore try not to look at it condescendingly? Not a chance.

So she rolled her eyes and looked around, as a natural gesture, to meet the glance of another exasperated soul who would share in her irritation and lack of faith in humankind. Whose eyes but the bright hazel ones of one Ted Tonks were there? None. And that is the story of how she, for the first time, exchanged a knowing glance, paired with a complicit smile, with a Hufflepuff, and a muggle-born.

'Enough chit-chat over there!' squeacked Professor Flitwick. Joy mumbled a last insult before turning back to the front and Andromeda imitated her, calmly and with enough confidence that she would look anything but guilty. 'What is going on?' asked the Professor after a few seconds, throwing unhappy glances at the still fuming Joy and Wispbelly.

His question was followed by tense silence, a silence that had expanded to the entire classroom whose eyes were all directed towards the four of them. Flitwick waited patiently until he put his hands on his waist with a disapproving huff. Ted sit up straighter and smiled amicably.

'It's nothing Professor,' he said brightly, 'just a misunderstanding.'

Wispbelly remained frowning and silent. Joy, arms crossed over her chest, scoffed. Andromeda sighed despite herself and rested her head on her hand, her elbow bent on the table. Flitwick looked all but convinced. However, after a last suspicious glare, he nodded and went back to his teaching.

Other students continued to throw them interested glances through the room but, other than the overwhelming tension electrifying the air around them, nothing notable emerged on their side of the class for the following hour. Andromeda occasionally heard Tonks and Wispbelly whisper behind her back but doubted it was anything she should be concerned about, and despite Joy's petulant mood, managed to have her own conversations with her friend. By the last ten minutes of class, she nearly had forgotten completely about the previous incident but fate had a way of smacking her in the back of the head when she least expected it. With a weird sort of featherless quill.

She snapped around to find out where the projectile had come from and was, this time, legitimately surprised – though thinking back on it she really should not have been – to find a wide-eyed Ted Tonks, his hand in mid-air and panic in his eyes. A hand still oncher skull where she'd been hit, she locked eyes with his gaze and watched as he stopped breathing.

'_What_,' she started in a voice worthy of Bellatrix's best threatening moments, '_did you just do?_'

Tonks gulped audibly. Next to Andromeda, Joy swirled back around, a look of near triumph on her face.

'Ha!' she exclaimed, her eyes shifting between the wide-eyed Tonks and the blank-faced Wispbelly. 'You're gonna tell me you didn't do that?'

Wispbelly shrugged. Ted started shaking his head frantically.

'It was an accident!' he blurted. 'I promise! I absolutely did not mean to throw it in your face! I –'

'You are disturbing class again!' squealed Professor Flitwick. Andromeda was surprised to see his face red with anger; he was always so calm and cheery. 'I noticed you've changed seats, Mister Tonks and Mister Wispbelly. If it is to disturb my class, I'm going to have to move you back. Really, I did not think I would have to say this to my sixth-year students. Do not forget your NEWT curriculum expands over two years.'

All four students turned red with shame and embarrassment. Andromeda had rarely ever seen the young Professor so unhappy. Having always been extremely competent in Charms, she did not want his esteem of her to dwindle. Joy must have been thinking along the same lines.

'But Professor,' she called. 'Tonks threw something at Andromeda!'

Andromeda stopped herself from groaning. Sometimes, she really wished Joy would simply stop talking.

A mutter rose in the classroom following her intervention. Flitwick seemed confused by the revelation. Tonks jumped from his seat and started justifying himself loudly.

'No Professor! I didn't do it on purpose I swear! It was an accident! I was playing and it slipped —'

Amidst Tonks's gesticulations and the general noise he was making, Flitwick, glanced at Andromeda. She glanced back and, for a second, thought of lying in the hopes of getting Tonks detention and thus feeling avenged. Then she realised that she did not want that because then rumours would spread that Tonks got detention for accidentally sending his quill Andromeda's way, and then she would be mocked and ridiculed and seen as a horrible spoiled brat… Which she might have been, but that was not the reputation she wanted, and reputation was everything. Instead, she shrugged, and articulated in the most detached and aloof voice she could muster:

'It was probably just a mistake, Professor.'

Flitwick who — she had made sure of it until now but sacrifices sometimes needed to be made — had never witnessed this side of her before, raised both eyebrows in confusion but did not argue. When he looked away, she did the same. She could feel Tonks — who had stopped pleading his cause — staring at her from where he still stood but ignored him. A few seconds later, she heard Wispbelly whispering for Ted to sit back down in an annoyed voice.

Joy leaned towards her.

'Why did you save his arse again?' she asked.

'Because a Black does not get attacked by a mudblood with a quill!' Andromeda hissed angrily.

Joy shrunk back on her seat without another word, throwing her sideway glances as she bit her lip. Only then did Andromeda realise the slur she had used. It came naturally to her when she felt irritable, but ever since last year she had made a point of not using it anymore. It was, after all, a discriminatory insult against the use of which the Ministry of Magic had spread a campaign of awareness.

The bell rang the end of class and Joy shot right up her seat. 'I have Quidditch training! See you later!' she said excitedly. Andromeda let her go with a nod. She took her time gathering her belongings in her bag, thoughtful. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Tonks walk towards her hesitantly. She did not move. It took him a while to finally stop fidgeting. Instead, he coughed. It was timid and Andromeda ignored it. A few moments later, however, she had everything in her bag and no more excuses for pretence. Seeing as he was blocking the way, she had no way of walking past him either. She put her weight on one hip and glared at him.

'What?' she spat.

'Err… I'm sorry…' he started. She tsked and stepped forward, ready to push through. He did not let her. 'Wait! I actually need my pen back.'

She raised an eyebrow. 'Your what?'

'My pen,' he replied, scratching the back of his neck.

She threw him a look as if he was a whale stuck in a tiny inkpot.

'What on earth is a _pen_?' she asked.

She regretted it immediately. _Do not ask questions to those inferior to you unless you know the answer!_ _Merlin Andromeda, stop forgetting the basic lessons of your childhood!_

She looked around and was at least relieved to see that nobody was left in the classroom except for Adrian Wispbelly, who was standing against the door and thus too far to have been able to hear her, and Professor Flitwick who was busy organising pieces of parchment on his desk. However, when she looked back at Ted, the thought of hexing him was so demanding she had to curl her fingers into a fist to stop herself from grabbing her wand and possibly pluck it into his eyes. He was smiling! He was smiling as if he could not believe that she did not know what a _pen_ was! As if a _pen_ was some object that everybody should obviously know about! Merlin knows she could have killed someone in that instant!

It must have shown through her eyes because Ted lost his smile. Pretending he was fine when she could see the vivid blush on his cheeks and the fidgeting of his fingers, he started to blurt out some explanation about what a pen was. The word was so ugly anyway!

'It's like a quill but without the feather,' he said. 'You know, what I accidentally lost my hold on and… well… it landed on… your… head.'

Andromeda took a deep breath. A long, deep, profound inspiration. She was calm. Bellatrix was the one with the temper. Andromeda was different. Andromeda was calm, and poised and disinterested. When her nostrils had stopped flaring, she glared at Tonks some more before turning back and taking out her wand. Indeed, the object she assumed to be the pen was there, under her desk. Now, she could have bent down and grabbed it but she had pride and knew that bending down was for muggles, so she threw a silent "Accio" in her head and caught the pen with her free hand. When she turned again, she decided it was admiration on Tonks' face and, ignoring his thanks, pushed him aside and walked away. Calm and poised and disinterested. Wispbelly stepped aside to let her through the door, she did not make notice of his existence.

In her next class, Professor McGonagall was giving a fascinating lecture on new methods of Transfigurations and, any other day, Andromeda would have loved to hear it. But on this particular day of October 1968, she simply could not, and for one simple reason:

_Pens!_

**oooOOOooo**

The next day, Andromeda had another period of Charms with Flitwick. Tonks and Wispbelly had retrieved their seats behind her. Joy had fallen ill from yesterday's Quidditch training. Andromeda had accompanied her to the infirmary the previous evening and checked on her again in the morning. Joy was tired but otherwise fine and would completely recover before the end of the day. Andromeda was thus alone and did not feel guilty in thinking she was, in other words, witness-free.

Slowly, she turned on her seat and balanced her chair to put an elbow on Tonks's desk. He nearly jumped when, looking up, he found her face so close to his. Andromeda continuously glared at him as he sat back to put some distance between them. From the corner of her eyes, she knew Wispbelly was looking at her suspiciously. She ignored him and diverted her attention back to Ted Tonks and his shining, bright, golden eyes.

'Remember what I told you the day before yesterday. About us being friendly?'

'Yes…' he replied, looking hopeful.

'Well, nothing has changes.'

'Oh. Okay,' he replied, looking disenchanted.

She let it sink in before adding, 'Now, about the _pan_…'

'Pen,' he corrected automatically.

She frowned. The corner of his lips quivered. She felt hers do the same. He saw it and smiled. She nearly smiled too, then realised what she was doing and hurriedly moulded her expression back into a poker-face. He stopped smiling.

'About the _pen_,' she repeated.

'Yes?' he obliged carefully.

She looked down at the object in question, held between Tonks' fingers. His hands were large. She wondered how small her own would look compared to his... The pen! It was long and black and made of a material the name of which she did not know but that was shiny. Overall, nothing special, expect for the fact that it had no feather, its tip was different from other quills and Ted had no inkpot on his table.

'How does it work?' she articulated with much more difficulty than she had anticipated.

She was not happy with herself. Not happy that she had to ask for knowledge to a muggleborn. But she found she had no choice! She could not simply allow him to know more than she did! Besides, he had proven before that he could keep his tongue, so rumours of her ignorance were not likely to spread over the school. As for Adrian Wispbelly, who was eyeing her curiously, she had vaguely talked to him a couple of times before and knew that he was not a man of many words. She felt confident that he would not babble away. If the idea crossed his mind, Tonks had better stop him or she would be extremely disappointed.

Tonks, as it happened, looked happily surprised by her question. After the initial few seconds of shock, he leaned forward and started dismantling the object.

'It's simple really,' he said. 'There is an ink cartridge inside, just there, and it goes into the tip, there. It lasts a while too. It's much less messy than a quill and you don't have to constantly tip it back into the ink pot.'

Andromeda looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Besides the fact that what he said made a lot of sense, she was surprised at how happy he was, explaining it to her. His face glowed brighter than when he looked at her with fear or worry, and his hazel eyes shone a brighter gold than she had ever seen. Noticing her silence, he looked up and found her staring at him quizzically. A pink glow appeared on his cheeks. She looked back down at the pen, then at Ted's parchment.

'And is horrible handwriting another advantage of the pen?' she asked disdainfully, though her voice was much too soft for it to sound as mean as she had intended.

'That's just me, I'm afraid,' he replied with a cheeky smile.

She surprised herself by smiling back.

Suddenly, Wispbelly coughed. It was obviously a cough he had tried very hard to supress for what was probably many a minute, but it was enough to snap Andromeda back to reality.

'You can't tell anyone about this,' she told Ted in a distinctly threatening voice.

Then, without another word, she was back to leaning on her own desk, facing the front, and royally ignoring the Hufflepuff boy sitting right behind her and who, though she hated to think about it, had actually taught her a lot in only a few encounters. She did not know how she felt about this. In fact, the more she thought about it, the more uneasy it made her feel, and the more she felt like she was doing something inherently wrong. And of course she was! She had been talking to a muggle-born! Repeatedly! Despite promising herself more than once that it would never happen again!

Her insides twirled and she felt a knot form in her throat. She was careful, however, not to show her torment. Throughout the rest of the lesson, she kept her eyes on Professor Flitwick, diligently noting down everything he said and even raising her hand to answer questions, something she rarely ever did. But her mind was not truly in the classroom. As she let it wonder, she decided one thing. No matter what, pens were not as good as quills. Quills looked better anyway.


	11. Broken Festivities

Halloween was coming fast and the castle was bubbling with excitement. Hagrid was growing gigantic pumpkins in his potage near the miserable hut in which he lived. Andromeda had gone to see them once with Bellatrix. The two of them did this every year, just so that Bellatrix could rant hours on end about how obvious it was that Hagrid was a half-breed. Andromeda always let her do silently because she loved sitting in the wet grass of Hogwarts' grounds and watch crows flying around the potage. In a way, it reminded her of those childhood autumns she used to spend with her sister, when Bellatrix would complain for hours about this or that and Andromeda would feel happy, sitting there and listening, thinking that shared misery meant no misery. When Narcissa was old enough to join them, she broke that routine. Narcissa hated sitting still, and even more so if it was to listen to somebody else's life.

This aspect of Narcissa's character had remained a constant throughout the years. The youngest Black sister proved it again when, during breakfast, she cut off her friend Caroline Travers, who was complaining about her dysfunctional wand, to rant about her own issues.

'Caroline, just buy another one. The real problem here is how the first Slug Club's party is happening two days before the Halloween Feast and I'm still not invited!'

Andromeda lazily bit into the apple she was holding. The situation was all too familiar.

'Nobody wants a baby at a party, Cissy,' teased Bellatrix cheekily.

Narcissa did not appreciate the humour. 'Will you stop with that! I'm not a baby, I'm thirteen!'

'Narcissa,' intervened Sophie. 'Slughorn only invites fourth-years and older to his parties, you know that.'

'Yes I do,' spat Narcissa, 'there's no need be patronising.'

Sophie nearly replied before deciding against it. Having known the Black sisters most of her life, she'd had time to learn a thing or two about dealing with their infamous temper. She remained silent whilst Narcissa continued to complain and Bellatrix continued to tease her mercilessly.

'I can't believe Narcissa,' Joy whispered next to Andromeda. 'At least she knows for sure that Slughorn will have an invite ready for her as soon as she hits fourteen.'

Andromeda chuckled. Joy was always pouty but rarely at the same time as when she was being anxious, which she very much was this morning. As her legs wriggled nervously and her breath shortened, Andromeda put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

'Catch the snitch today, Miss Moor, and I'll make sure you are Slughorn's next VIP,' she said.

Joy threw her a disbelieving glare. 'Don't say that…' she moaned.

'I'm serious,' insisted Andromeda, smiling brightly. 'With your great season, last year, you've already made a name for yourself. If you start this year as brilliantly as you ended the last, and if Andromeda Black puts in the right word, there is no way Slughorn could refuse you.'

Joy seemed to hesitate briefly before her pout turned into a cheeky smile. 'You think?'

Across the table, Paloma snickered. 'Look at you, Joycelin,' she said. 'You've been waiting for her to say that aloud for ages.'

Andromeda raised an eyebrow.

'That's a lie!' Joy shouted a little too passionately.

'You were literally asking me if I thought Meda would talk to Slughorn for you last night…'

'Shut up!'

Andromeda tilted her head and squirmed closer to her friend. 'You should have told me,' she said softly. 'I would have done it earlier if you'd asked. I just didn't know you cared that much, I'm sorry.'

And she truly was. She knew she was not exactly the best friend there was, but she still cared. Joy, however, seemed taken aback.

'You would have?' she asked.

Andromeda looked her straight in the eyes. 'Of course. You're my friend… It's – it's the least I can do.'

Friend. Technically, Joy was her best friend, but Andromeda had never found it in her to call her that. After all, if anything, her best friend was Bellatrix… or, she used to be. She was supposed to be.

Joy appeared truly flustered by Andromeda's words, although the latter could not help but notice the suspicion behind the confusion and could not help but feel a little hurt by it. Was she usually so distant that the simple act of offering help to a friend could be taken with such caution? Or were her friends the ones to know her so little?

Paloma rose suddenly, eyes focused with determined intensity.

'Come on, Joy. Let's go,' she said.

Joy nodded and followed. They were imitated by the other players from the Slytherin team and left the Hall under Andromeda's drifting gaze and Bellatrix's more intense one. Andromeda did not fail to notice the jealous shadow darkening her sister's pupils; Bellatrix had always wanted to play Quidditch but their parents had never allowed them to practice at home. With no experience under her belt, Bellatrix never even tried for the team, not willing to risk failure and humiliation. Andromeda herself was not particularly interested in the sport – any kind of sports – but did feel for her sister.

Narcissa rose as well.

'Let's go, Caroline, Gwen.' Her friends immediately followed her lead.

'Wait!' called Lucius Malfoy. Andromeda was surprised to see he had not left with the rest of the Quidditch team. Instead, he hurried to catch up with Narcissa, smiling brightly as he fell by her side.

Andromeda watched her little sister smile back and felt her own lips curve upwards. Bellatrix must have been thinking along her lines because when she spoke next, Andromeda knew exactly what she was talking about.

'What do you think of him?' Her voice was low, meant only for her sister to hear.

'I don't know him enough to judge,' replied Andromeda in the same tone.

Bellatrix snorted. 'Bullshit,' she spat. 'We judge strangers all the time.'

Andromeda hesitated but decided not to argue. 'He is a Malfoy, very much respectable on that point. And he sure looks like he'd have good grades but I can't be sure.'

'You can. Just ask around.'

'Why would I?'

Bellatrix did not reply right away. She leaned closer and when she spoke next, she sounded even more secretive.

'What do you know of his father?' she asked.

Andromeda frowned. 'Abraxas Malfoy, Elf Legislations Advisor to the Minister of Magic but famously at odds with him because he used to be Undersecretary to the previous Minister. A friend of dad's too. Apparently, he has a lot of money and he knows how to put it to good use. Why do you ask?'

'Is Lucius close with his father?'

Andromeda thought about it. There was only so much she could know about a person…

'I think there was something about Lucius's mother dying and Abraxas being an overprotective father. Honestly, I don't know why you're asking me and not Rita. She's the one who knows everything about everyone.' There was a pause during which Bellatrix stared at nothing. Andromeda grabbed her arm to catch her attention once more. 'Why are you asking anyway?'

Bella opened her mouth before closing it again. Her eyes looked intensely thoughtful when she spoke again. 'Nothing, I just want to make sure Cissy stays with the right people.'

Bellatrix meant to leave but Andromeda grabbed her arm before she could.

'She does stay with the right people,' she said. 'Remember that Ravenclaw girl you told her to dump?'

Bellatrix frowned. 'Yes?'

'Well, she did. The day after you told her to.'

'You saw her?'

'Cissy was bragging about it in the Common Room that evening.'

Bellatrix smiled proudly. 'That's our Narcissa! She knows how to get things done.'

Andromeda wished she could share in her joy, but found herself more disgusted than anything.

'Wasn't it a bit harsh, though?' she mumbled, doing a fantastic job of hiding her true feelings, as always. 'One second they're friends and the next Cissy is throwing her away like an old smelly sock.'

Bellatrix looked intently into her sister's eyes. 'It's not harsh,' she said. 'It's for the best.'

And Andromeda knew that logic was not sensible, yet she did not bring it up, because she also knew what Bellatrix meant; no method was too harsh if it meant protecting Narcissa.

Bellatrix sighed. 'Well, I gotta go,' she said. 'See you later, Andy.'

Andromeda nodded and watched her walk away.

The match was against Gryffindor, Slytherin's natural enemy, and although Andromeda was not as keen to partake in the fervent House competition, she had to admit feeling particularly smug when the Slytherin team crushed their opponent two-hundred-and-fifty points to seventy. She felt even more smug knowing that Joy's excellent catch was the reason for the win and the significant point difference.

Joy herself was over the moon. She had been carried all the way to the Common Room by the entire team, including Liantris and Paloma who had been calling for drinks all the way from the pitch to the Common Room.

A cup of Butterbeer in hand, Andromeda walked over to a corner of the room. She had just left Joy to chat with her teammates and come to realise that she herself needed some air. The room was packed and loud and hot and Andromeda could hardly tolerate any of that. She started looking around in the hope of finding someone to talk to so that she would forget about the clammed atmosphere. Surprisingly, there was no one of the sort. She frowned then, confused.

'Meda!' called Liantris loudly above the noisy chatter of the room.

Andromeda turned around and was relieved to see him.

'Liantris! Where is everybody?'

Her friend shrugged. 'Who's "everybody"?'

Andromeda sighed. 'Fine. Have you seen my sister?'

Liantris thought before answering, 'I haven't, actually. Did she come back from the pitch with the rest of us?'

'What do you mean?' Andromeda had to shout to be heard above the overwhelming noise of the Common Room.

Liantris inched closer. 'She was right behind me in the stands but I never saw her walk inside the castle.'

'Then, where is she?'

'How should I know? I'm telling you I haven't seen her.'

Andromeda frowned, confused. It wasn't like Bellatrix to miss out on a party and free butterbeer. Unless… Andromeda sighed. She must have gone drinking Firewhisky somewhere.

'I'm going,' she said to Liantris.

He laughed. 'Can't trust dear old Bella?'

She ignored him and left.

The corridors were chilly, dark and empty. The faint moon rays breaking through the windows were all the light there was. Andromeda's heels echoed loudly against the paved ground. She turned a corner and paused.

Where could Bellatrix be?

Andromeda looked to her left, then to her right, hesitated, and made a decision. She started walking again, towards the Black Lake.

Who was Bellatrix with?

Liantris had been in the Common Room, so had Valentine and Rita. Sophie was absent but that was expected; wherever Bella went, Sophie followed.

Faint voices travelled through the outside breeze. Andromeda stopped to listen. Voices mixed but their words were unintelligible. Slowly, she made her way towards them. The wet grass under her feet muffled her footsteps, making her invisible in the darkness of the night.

Against the moonlight, the shivery form of a silhouette formed up the hill. It seemed to be walking towards the castle. No, not walking; running.

It tripped on its feet and shrieked a cuss in frustration. Andromeda's blood turned cold.

Bellatrix.

Andromeda hesitated. If she stayed where she was, her sister would see her and she could go back to the castle with her. Yet, for some reason...

Carefully, Andromeda snuck behind the nearest tree. She waited, hidden, and watched Bellatrix hurry past her, through the gates, and inside the castle. Andromeda came out of her hiding place behind the tree and walked towards the Lake.

She let her feet guide her and walked and walked until broken sobs broke through her trance. She looked around and froze. Near the lake, behind a wild bush, were two people. Sophie, on her knees, hands clasped against her mouth, was desperately trying to muffle her crying. Lying in front of her, the unconscious body of Deborah Leeswood.

Voices again, behind her. She turned around. Slughorn, his face visible thanks to the light shining at the tip of his wand. Andromeda still enveloped in the shadows, hurried far from Sophie and Leeswood, far from the Potions' Master, to where no one would see her. She hid in the shadows and watched and caught her breath when she realised Bellatrix stood by Slughorn's side. She did not seem in trouble, however. There was worry in her eyes. It was not real. She had trouble walking straight. Her cheeks were pink. She was drunk.

The professor knelt beside Leeswood's body. Andromeda watched. She remained hidden while he cast a levitating charm onto the unconscious body to take it back inside. She did not move when Bella helped Sophie to her feet and passed a supporting arm around her shoulder. She remained hidden as they followed Slughorn to the castle.

She remained hidden through the night. A chilly night, and not quite as festive as it had started.


	12. Pandora's Box

'Have you heard? Deborah Leeswood is in the hospital wing! She was attacked last night and was found passed out near the Black Lake!'

Rita looked positively thrilled. Then again, she had never been more popular. Students huddled around her like moths to a light. Not all were Slytherins either, many had abandoned their usual spot in the Great Hall to hear about what had happened. Andromeda was not one of them. She sat on the far-side of the Slytherin table, nibling at her food, unable to eat.

She felt sick.

'I wonder how she does it,' said Joy next to her. 'She is always the first to know when something big happens.'

Andromeda did not know the answer and had other things on her mind. Opposite her, Narcissa was anxiously chewing the inside of her cheek.

'Andy?' she said, 'Do you think Bella and Sophie really had something to do with it?'

Andromeda shut her eyes.

'Rita says it was them who found Leeswood, yesterday,' said Joy in a frail voice.

Andromeda opened her eyes to see Narcissa glaring at her friend. 'So what? It doesn't mean they did it!'

Joy pouted and started pocking meekly at her food.

Andromeda had another hit of nausea and this time, she stood up, muttering a weak 'I'm not feeling well' before making her escape.

She heard Narcissa's footsteps follow her past the doors of the Great Hall.

'Andy, wait for me!'

Andromeda hesitated before finally coming to a stop in the corridor.

'Sophie is having a break down, Bellatrix is in Dumbledore's office, and now you're saying you're sick!' she exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. 'What is going on?'

Andromeda placed her fingers on her temple and shut her eyes again.

After the professors had left the grounds to take Leeswood to the hospital wing, yesterday, Andromeda had snuck back to her dormitory, unnoticed. Once in bed, she had not been able to fall asleep. She had had no way of knowing, until this morning, whether Leeswood was dead or alive, and during the long hours leading up to breakfast, she had been shivering in cold sweats, terrified that her sister or Sophie had killed someone.

'Andy?'

'I think Bella did it,' Andromeda whispered.

Narcissa froze.

'Why do you say that?'

'I saw her yesterday.'

Narcissa's eyes opened wide. 'Yesterday? When? Where'

Andromeda started speaking in a frantic, brittle voice. 'She wasn't in the Common Room after we'd all come back from the match so I went looking for her and I found her outside, near the Black Lake, but she was with others I didn't know, so I hid and watched her run back to the castle and I went to where she came from and that's when I saw Sophie crying above the girl's body and I — Cissy, I thought she was _dead_!'

She broke down.

As she shook, crying behind her hands, she felt Narcissa's arms envelope her and snuggled deeper into the hug.

'Come on, let's go somewhere more private,' Narcissa whispered in her ear in a surprisingly calm voice.

Andromeda was blinded by her tears and hiding her face, so she let her sister guide her through the corridors and into an empty classroom. Narcissa sat her down on a chair and stood beside her, shushing her gently and rubbing her back until she had calmed down.

'This is the room where Bella took us, back then,' Narcissa said when Andromeda looked up at her surroundings. 'When she told us that everything was going to change and that we had to be extra careful.' She scoffed. 'Bella has always been terrible at heeding her own advice.'

Andromeda managed the tiniest smile before breaking into another fit of sobs. 'How can you be so calm about this?' she asked Narcissa.

'One of us has to keep a cool head.'

Andromeda shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Narcissa was right. The time for panic was over. Now was the time to make things right.

She opened her eyes and stood.

'I have to speak with Sophie.'

Narcissa cast her a worried look. 'You have to lie down,' she protested. 'Andy, you look unwell. Have you even slept since yesterday?'

'No,' replied Andromeda, heading for the door, 'but I have all day to sleep. Right now, I've got to talk to Sophie and make sure that she hasn't and won't say anything she shouldn't.'

Narcissa grabbed her arm. 'What do you mean?'

'Sophie went to Dumbledore's office before Bella, but have you seen the state she's in? She is devastated! If she has told him that Bella did it, maybe I can still convince her to go back on her word and claim that she was so shocked by what she'd seen that she told him nonsense.'

'But what if Bella _did_ do it?'

'She won't ever admit it to Dumbledore.' Or at least, Andromeda hoped so.

Narcissa did not seem convinced. 'Dumbledore will have his own ways of knowing the truth,' she said.

'But we have to try,' replied Andromeda, stopping in her tracks to face her sister. 'Or would you rather sit back and watch Bellatrix be taken to Azkaban?'

Narcissa looked horrified. 'Merlin, no!'

'Exactly,' said Andromeda. 'Now listen to me. You go tell Rita to shut up before she starts making up a story we don't want her to spread, and I'll go find Sophie. Sounds good?'

'Good,' replied Narcissa with a fierce look in her eyes. 'See you later.'

Andromeda nodded and strode away towards the Slytherin Common Room.

Sophie was sitting on her bed with her head between her hands, trembling. She looked up at the sound of Andromeda's footsteps, and Andromeda winced at the sight of her bloodshot eyes and haggard face.

'How are you holding up?' she asked, taking a seat on the bed next to Sophie.

Sophie started shaking her head. 'I didn't do it,' she said in a brittle voice. 'I didn't do it, it wasn't me.'

Andromeda placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. 'I believe you, Sophie. No matter what, I'm on your side.'

Sophie stopped fidgeting to gaze at her. It was like she wanted to trust Andromeda but dared not. Andromeda decided to push her luck.

'I promise you, no matter what you tell me, I'll be on your side. So I need to know,' she murmured, 'was it Bella who did it?'

Sophie's eyes opened wider and her shaking grew stronger. 'No!' she exclaimed weakly. 'Bella didn't do anything. She just stood there. It wasn't either of us. It was…'

Andromeda frowned. 'Who was it?' she asked. 'Who was there?'

Sophie put a hand over her mouth and shut her eyes closed. Andromeda had to repress a groan of frustration.

'Come on Sophie, you can tell me,' she said in a voice much calmer than she felt. When it became clear Sophie was not going to talk, she released a long sigh and whispered, 'look, you don't have to lie to me. I went looking for you yesterday and I saw Bella running back to the castle with other people by her sides. They were cloaked and I did not recognise their silhouettes, so I assume they were not Hogwarts students.'

Sophie frowned, confused.

'They had to be some of Rodolphus's friends; supporters of the Dark Lord.' Andromeda continued, 'See? I didn't say this to anyone. So you can tell me everything as well. I'll keep it a secret, I promise.'

Sophie hesitated. Many long seconds passed before she removed her hand from her mouth and tangled it in her hair instead.

'You're right,' she breathed. 'They were here. We were only supposed to trade information but I – I told them to bring Firewhisky and we sneaked them inside the castle… We were just drinking and having fun when she – the g-girl – showed up… she must have been looking for something, I don't know. I was drunk, you see. It wasn't me who called her over. I didn't want her to come. Then, I – I'm not sure what happened but they said things they shouldn't have and got scared. They said we had to obliviate her… they told me to do it but…' Sophie cut herself short and snapping back to Andromeda, started shaking her head frantically. 'I didn't do it! It wasn't me!' she repeated. 'I wouldn't – I couldn't possibly —'

She broke into tears and hid her face in her hands, trying to muffle her wails and failing.

Andromeda continued to pat her shoulders sympathetically but said nothing. She knew Sophie better than anyone. She knew her ambitions, her fears, her quirks and her mannerisms. She knew what she sounded like when she was lying. And she was lying.

The door to the dormitory opened just then and Bellatrix stepped inside. She stopped short at the sight of Andromeda and her eyes darkened with suspicion. Andromeda chose to ignore it.

'Bella!' she called instead. 'How did it go with Dumbledore?'

Bellatrix seemed to hesitate before finally taking a deep breath and walking deeper inside the room. 'What do you think?' she spat bitterly, 'the jerk never liked me. He didn't say it, but I know he thinks it was me who attacked the mudblood.'

Bellatrix leaned against Sophie's desk and Andromeda stared. It seemed to her increasingly unlikely that Bellatrix was the culprit, indeed. There was something in her tone of voice which suggested she felt more disheartened about being innocent than she felt about being wrongly accused. It made Andromeda uneasy, but she tried to temper her disquiet by reminding herself that at least, her sister had not put anyone in a coma.

Problem was, who would believe it? In every adult's eyes, Bellatrix was a wild beast, dangerous, unpredictable and untameable. Bellatrix herself did a very poor job at proving them wrong.

'Dumbledore is always suspicious of Slytherins, but he never showed hostility towards me in particular,' she thought aloud. 'Maybe… Bellatrix, do you want me to go talk to him?'

Bellatrix looked nonplussed. 'What for?'

'Vouch for you.'

Seconds passed during which Bellatrix remained silent and wide-eyed. Then, she let out a small laugh, bright and genuine, which surprised Andromeda and warmed her heart.

'That is a nice thought, Andy,' she said, 'but I don't think it would do me much good at all. Dumbledore will think I forced you. Besides, I didn't do it.'

Sophie released a loud sob, and there was no doubt left in Andromeda's heart: Bellatrix had not been the one to cast the spell. So she said, 'I believe you' and stood up.

Bellatrix caught her wrist before she could leave the room. 'You talked to Sophie?' she whispered in Andromeda's ear.

Andromeda nodded and threw the girl a quick glance. 'She didn't have much to say…'

'Did she tell you anything?'

Andromeda stared, hesitating. After what felt like an eternity she replied, 'She said she didn't do it.'

'And what do you think?'

'That she doesn't sound as innocent as you.'

Bellatrix frowned and Andromeda knew that they understood each other. She was about to step out but stopped herself and turned back around.

'Bella,' she said, 'should I send a letter to father? What if they call Aurors to investigate?'

'Don't worry about it,' Bella said. 'I already had a message relayed to him. And if they intend to call Aurors, it won't be this morning. Dumbledore released me early from his office because some ministry official showed up to summon him most urgently.'

Andromeda raised her eyebrows. 'Dumbledore was summoned at the ministry? Something must have happened…'

'I know,' said Bella. 'I wonder what.'

Andromeda opened her mouth to say something but was interrupted when Rita Skeeter burst into the room, panting, and with a look of pure glee reddening her cheeks, she shouted, "the Minister of Magic is dead!"

* * *

**I am not making any promises, but I will try to continue updating this story regularly from now on.**

**I've been absent for a very long time now, due to personal reasons, but my love for these characters and this story is as strong as ever!**

**Have a great day and thank you for reading everyone! ^^**


	13. To Care So Very Much

'_Minister of Magic Nobby Leach was found dead in front of his house on October 22nd, 9h45 pm. The body was discovered by his wife, Mrs Leach, as she looked out her window. It was missing an arm and had lost a lot of blood. It was immediately taken to St Mungoes and subjected to a partial autopsy._

_In the early morning of the 23rd of October, the healer in charge of the autopsy, Emmeline Vance, reported that the late Minister's wound did not appear to have been caused by splinching. She added that at first glance, it seemed unlikely that Mr Leach had died after apparating home. Following that report, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot and Grand Sorcerer Albus Dumbledore, with the blessing of Mrs Leach, demanded for a complete autopsy to be executed on the body and a thorough investigation to be led. Damocles Macmillan, Head of the Auror Office, proclaimed that he himself would lead the team in charge of the investigation._

_Later that day, Healer Vance handed out a report declaring that Mr Leach had died before apparating in front of his house. Cause of death was determined to be the killing curse. Two hours later, Auror Constable Macmillan declared in a similar report that, according to the investigation, Mr Abraxas Malfoy, Elf Legislations Advisor to the Minister, was the last person seen in company of Mr Leach. Mr Malfoy and Mr Leach had seemingly disapparated jointly outside Hogsmeade pub "_the Three Broomsticks_" at around 9h30 pm, on October 22nd. According to testimony, the Minister looked in excellent health and appeared to be sober. Following that discovery, Mr Malfoy was arrested on October 23rd at 5pm and is currently being detained in a cell in the Ministry of Magic's Department of Justice as the prime suspect for the murder of the late Minister for Magic, Nobby Leach._

_Since the Minister's death, Eugenia Jenkins, Undersecretary to the Minister for Magic, has called the Wizengamot for an urgent session with the goal of organising a committee to lead Wizarding Britain in the absence of a Minister of Magic and prepare upcoming elections. As of today, members of the committee include Mrs Jenkins herself, Albus Dumbledore, Damocles Macmillan, Alexander Nott_ — and blah, blah, blah,' read Andromeda.

She felt odd. Reading the Prophet aloud was usually Sophie's role, but Sophie was in no condition to read for anyone. She had not gotten out of bed this morning, claiming she was not hungry, but truth was that her mood had not improved since the Leeswood incident and every day she looked gaunt and lost in thought. To add salt to the wound, her boyfriend Theo Travers had not shown sign of life in a few days, he whose correspondence had been consistently daily since the year had started. Now that Sophie needed him most, his silence was at best conspicuous, at worst a cause for anguish. Despite her own worries, Andromeda had tried to comfort Sophie but nothing she nor anyone said would bring her peace of mind.

'This is a mess,' huffed Bellatrix, dropping her chin in her hand and pushing her plate further down the Slytherin table.

It truly was. A few hours only after the Leeswood incident, the Minister of Magic had been murdered and the prime suspect in the crime was one of the most influential people in not only the Ministry of Magic, but all of Wizarding Britain. Dumbledore had been almost completely absent from Hogwarts since then, Slughorn had postponed his Slug Club party which was supposed to happen a few days before Halloween and now Sophie's boyfriend seemed to have disappeared.

'Lucius isn't coming,' said Narcissa, who had been absent-mindedly gazing at the doors from the moment she had sat herself at the table.

Following her line of sight, Andromeda and Bellatrix turned their heads towards the entrance of the Great Hall. Lucius Malfoy had been hiding in the Slytherin dormitory since the news about his father had hit Hogwarts, only stepping out to eat and go to class. Now it seemed he had given up on eating as well. Andromeda pitied him. If his father truly was the murderer, Lucius would have to carry the burden of his crimes all his life.

'Did he tell you anything?'

Narcissa eyed Bellatrix suspiciously. This must have been the first time Bella did not try to tease her after she had mentioned Lucius.

'Why do you want to know?' she asked.

Bellatrix threw her a dark look. 'Just answer me,' she groaned.

Narcissa clenched her jaws. 'I did talk to him,' she replied. 'He told me his father had asked him to befriend you to protect Lucius's social standing whilst he was being investigated.'

'Lucius wants out protection?' Bellatrix asked.

'Obviously,' replied Narcissa curtly.

'What did you tell him?'

Narcissa hesitated briefly. 'At first, I said yes, but then he was being an idiot so I decided I wouldn't help him and that would teach him a lesson.'

Andromeda wondered what the fool had done to attract Cissy's infamously unquenchable anger.

'It doesn't matter. Whatever he did, I'm taking him under my wing.'

Andromeda's jaw dropped. 'Bella, his father is the prime suspect in a murder case!' she reminded her.

Bellatrix shrugged. 'It doesn't matter.

'Great Salazar, what could you possibly gain from this?'

There was a pause before she replied, 'Security…' in a mysterious voice. She then rose to her feet and grumbled, 'I'm going back to my dorm. I've got to talk with Sophie before classes start. If only she would stop moping all day…'

And just like that, she was gone.

Andromeda bit her lip. Everyone might have been too distracted by Nobby Leach's death to care about her sister's involvement in Deborah Leeswood's case, but Andromeda certainly had not. It had been two days since the incident and the girl had yet to awaken. It was pure luck that Dumbledore, busy with the downfall of the Minister's death, had been too absent to oversee the investigation on what had happened to her.

There had been an investigation but it had been executed ridiculously poorly: two Aurors had asked a few questions to Bellatrix, Sophie, and some of Deborah's classmates, without even analysing anyone's wand. They had left about two hours later, promising to inform them of any future progress. But Andromeda knew the investigation was as good as dead; she had recognised one of the Aurors as Holland Brooks, a good friend of her father's.

This whole affair bothered Andromeda so much she feared she was becoming paranoid. She could not help but feel like the Minister's death had been extremely convenient to Bella and Sophie, even though it would be ridiculous to assume that such an important personality could be murdered to cover up the mishap of two teenage girls and their friends (the identity of whom Andromeda had been trying to worm out of Bellatrix's mouth with no success).

Sometimes she told herself that she should draw a line under this whole story, which would have been easier if Bellatrix and Sophie were not involved, and if Leeswood was nothing but another name in a flow of faceless Hufflepuffs. Which she was not. She was the girl who she and Joy had made fun of in History of Magic, back in September. She was also one of Ted Tonks's close friends.

Andromeda released a long sigh. Accidents, murders… If people stayed at home and minded their own business like she did, none of this would ever happen. World Peace achieved.

She realised, then, that Narcissa was being oddly silent. When she turned towards her little sister, she found her lost in thought, eyes squinted as she looked in the distance.

'What is it?'

Narcissa hesitated for a few seconds. 'Hmm… it's just... nothing.'

Andromeda put a hand on her shoulder. 'Are you worried about Lucius?' she asked softly.

Narcissa turned a violent shade of crimson but did not bother to deny it. 'I'm also worried about Sophie,' she said. 'And her boyfriend. And Bella. She seems very shaken by the Minister's death, doesn't she? You'd think she would be happy about it, she has been criticising his incompetence for months, but...'

'You're right,' said Andromeda, biting her lip. 'I'm sure it's just because she's as worried as we are about everything. Things will go back to normal soon enough.'

'Will they? I overheard Rita saying there have been violent protests inside the Ministry of Magic yesterday. Supporters and opponents of Nobby Leach, casting spells at each other, arguing over who would succeed him. She also said that Muggle-born households were attacked last night and the Ministry has been busy looking for the perpetrators and obliviating the muggles in the area. Does that sound like things getting back to normal?'

Andromeda frowned at Cissy's distant expression and in a strong voice said, 'It will, soon enough.'

Narcissa looked about to say more but stopped when a hand fell on Andromeda's shoulder.

'Morning, Meda.'

Andromeda swirled around only to find Maggie Greengrass looking down at her.

'Morning, Maggie,' she replied.

Maggie smiled. 'I just learned your first class is Herbology,' she said.

Andromeda nodded carefully as the Ravenclaw released a chuckle. 'Oh Merlin, you're going to have so much fun!' she exclaimed, a baleful grin on her lips.

Andromeda frowned. 'What are you talking about?' she asked, but Maggie was already leaving.

'I know how you love getting your hands dirty!' she called one last time while stranding out of the Great Hall.

'What did she mean?' asked Narcissa.

Andromeda shrugged. 'No idea.'

She only hoped it was not some sort of

joke at her expense, not that she believed Maggie capable of doing such a thing.

'Maybe we should be going then,' she said.

She called Joy who was conversing with Liantris further down the Slytherin table and together the girls headed off towards the greenhouses.

**_oooOOOooo_**

Upon arriving in Greenhouse Four, Andromeda released a long sigh, finally understanding Maggie's words and feeling inexplicably betrayed as Professor Sprout, her pitiful robes covered in dirt and mud, cheerfully exclaimed: 'Today and for six months, you will be growing plants!'

Now, Andromeda Cassiopeia Black did not hate plants, not at all, but there was little she disliked more than gardening. Gardening involved crouching, wearing ugly clothes, getting dirt everywhere, meddling with crawling insects, and possibly sweating. Not to mention, it required being able to distinguish some green leaves from more green leaves which, Andromeda thought, made little sense. All in all, gardening was clearly — among other thing — the reason why people had house-elves. The only reason Andromeda had not given up Herbology was Professor Sprout's free handing of excellent grades. And really, Herbology was enjoyable when strictly restricted to theoretical learning.

'There are five different types of magical plants for you today,' the plump Professor was saying, 'and four specimens for each. You will be divided into groups of four for each type and individually care for your own plant. Is that clear?'

There was a collective "yes" from the class — to which Andromeda took no part — and Sprout clapped her hands.

'Fantastic!' she said. 'So let's make it simple: you four together, you four together, you four and you four. Now each group agree on a type. Here are the five...'

Whatever Professor Sprout was saying then, Andromeda did not register. She was too busy trying to deal with the realisation of who she had been paired with as her eyes fell on the uncharacteristically closed-off face of Ted Tonks.

She had tried to catch his eyes when she had entered the green house but he had not noticed her, he who until recently had been stealing glances her way at every opportunity. They had not had the chance to to exchange a word since the Leeswood incident, although Andromeda had caught a glimpse of him in the infirmary one day.

She had gone there, on her own, for reasons that even she had trouble discerning, but with the clear intent of seeing for herself the consciousless body of the girl her childhood friend had almost murdered. Instead, all she had found was a boy with sandy blond hair and a square-jawed face, slouching on a stool, bent over what had to be Deborah Leeswood. And in that moment, his features had seemed to contain all the misery in the world and his shoulders had seemed to bear the most heavy burden of pain.

_I have caused this_, Andromeda had thought. Because eventhough she had not been the one to cast the spell, eventhough she had not even been present during the incident, she knew the truth and still held it back. In so doing, she was denying Leeswood and the people who cared for her any chance at fair justice.

On the threshold of the infirmary, she had told herself that if she was brave, she would go over to Ted Tonks and apologise. She would place a hand on his shoulder and attempt to comfort him. She would tell him how truly sorry she was that things had come to this. But Andromeda was not brave. She had always been a coward, always hid behind Bellatrix, and when that was not an option, she had always ran away. She had ran away this time as well. She had turned on her heel and let the doors close behind her.

And since then, she had felt nothing but a terrible sense of guilt whenever she looked at Ted Tonks.

'Meda?' Joy's voice brought her back to reality. 'Which plant do you you think is the best?' she asked brightly. As it were, Joy actually enjoyed Herbology.

Andromeda looked around, feigning reflexion. In truth, she had no idea what the plants were, not having listened to Professor Sprout, and found she cared very little. Her wandering eyes breezed over her classmates, Annie and Paloma, already busy at work with two Hufflepuffs, including a serious-looking girl Andromeda recognised as Amelia Bones, but were inevitably pulled back to Ted Tonks who was nervously fidgeting with the pan of his robe.

'I don't know,' she said to Joy. 'Maybe we should let the Hufflepuffs decide. It is their element after all.'

Joy made a face. 'But I don't want to talk to them,' she complained, glaring towards Wispbelly, and thus reminding Andromeda of Joy's last interaction with him. It had been rather conflictual. Thinking back on it, it was a little amusing.

Controlling the smirk she felt peeking at the corner of her lips, Andromeda simply shrugged.

'You four,' suddenly called Professor Sprout. 'Why are you standing so far apart? Have you made your choice?'

Andromeda and Joy exchanged a glance. Then Andromeda looked up and saw Tonks and Wispbelly do the same.

'We're still thinking, Professor,' she said in a gentle voice that the teachers usually seemed to find reassuring.

Naturally, it worked as Sprout nodded brightly and turned back around to care for some other group. In the newfound silence, the atmosphere felt even

heavier than before. Boys and girls were now standing several feet apart and awkward glances flashed left and right like casted spells. Finally, Andromeda had enough; the more time passed the more uncomfortable she was getting.

'You guys can pick whichever you want,' she said gently, looking at Tonks and hoping she did not sound as uneasy as she felt.

But Tonks, although he met her eyes, remained silent, and it was Wispbelly who spoke instead.

'I don't think we're left with much of a choice,' he said, looking around. 'I say we go with the Flitterbloom.'

Andromeda's eyes followed his finger pointing to the plant in question and actually took a step back. Next to her, Joy gasped.

'I thought that was a Devil's Snare!' she exclaimed. Andromeda did not blame her; with its long tentacles and dark green stems, the Flitterbloom could easily be mistaken for a young Devil's Snare's shoot. Great, she thought. It really was anything but.

Joy seemed to agree. 'Why can't we go with the Magiflower?' she asked.

On the other side of the big central table, Paloma spun around. 'Already taken!' she exclaimed.

Joy pulled a face.

'Flitterbloom's better,' a voice uttered just then. Andromeda's eyes snapped to Ted Tonks. He was speaking now, she thought. DId it mean he was feeling better? 'Magiflower is a fragile plant, used to warmer climates. Flitterblooms won't need as much effort to grow healthily,' he continued.

_How would a muggleborn know that?_ Andromeda wondered, but despite his apparent nervousness, he seemed certain. Andromeda also noticed that he was trying hard not to look at her too long. With a tinge of worry she wondered why. Did he blame her for Leeswood's condition? Did he hate her?

When Professor Sprout came back to them, they had settled on the Flitterbloom plant - not that they had any other options left. Sprout had given each of them a seed of the flower as well as a large pot full of earth. Then, she had gone back to her usual place at the end of the table and called for everyone's attention.

'Your assignment is to give me, as a group, a full written study on the plant on which you are working. It must include sketches of the plant as it grows, its

different properties and uses, explanations on how and why it is used, and so on... Is that clear?'

"_Yes_" replied the students.

'I can tell you where to find examples of reports at the end of class,' Sprout continued. 'For now, you can plant the seed and start writing down the first

observations.'

Andromeda watched everyone put themselves to work and started wondering why her heart felt so heavy. Was it because Tonks probably hated her? Well of course he would, for all he knew, her sister was probably the one who put Leeswood in a coma and he had no reason to believe she, Andromeda, did not approve of that act.

_No_, she thought. _He should realise I wouldn't approve._ _I saved him and his friends when Bella and the others tried to attack them in Hogsmeade!_

She was staring reproachfully at the little seed in her hand when he came up to her, making her jump.

'Goodness!' she breathed.

Tonks raised his hands apologetically. 'Sorry,' he said, 'I didn't mean to scare you.'

'Better not,' she grumbled.

For a beat, there was silence. She took a deep breath and turned back to him, calmer, only to realise he was standing markedly closer than anticipated. She stumbled a little backwards trying to put more space between them and barely managed to steady herself with the table.

She bit her lips, hoping she wasn't blushing as much as she felt she was. Wordlessly, her eyes fell on the hand he had extended to catch her. She looked up then, slowly. She might have stared a little too long.

'I - I came to help, actually...' Tonks managed to say in a low, deep voice.

Shivers shot up Andromeda's body. Warm shivers, if it was possible, the sort that rumbled in her stomach before turning to butterflies and fluttering all through

the rest of her being. Suddenly, she found herself wondering what it would have felt like if he had caught her, wondering about the feel of his hand around hers…

She looked away to compose herself, pushing to the back of her mind all embarassing thoughts.

'Okay,' she said. Pointing at her seed, she added: 'Go ahead.'

Tonks's eyes bounced between the grain, her pointing finger and her expectant eyes. The smallest of smiles appeared on his face, digging dimples into his cheeks.

'I said I'd help you, not do everything for you,' he said.

Andromeda shrugged. 'I don't see the contradiction.'

'It refers to the amount of work happening on your part,' he replied cheekily.

Andromeda put her weight on one hip and crossed her arms. 'Fine then, let's make a deal,' she said. 'You do that for me and I'll... owe you a favour in return... later.'

To be honest, she had not expected herself to say that. It must have shown on her face because Ted looked rather nonplussed.

'Are you sure?' he asked.

She rolled her eyes 'Yes.'

Ted hesitated for a few seconds, until his eyes were shining mischievously.

'So... You'll do anything I want?'

'No,' Andromeda replied, outraged.

His eyes flickered for an imperceptible second. Then they were back on hers.

'How about you try not to look too disappointed that I am in the group,' he said, and although he was smiling, there was an odd tone in his voice.

Andromeda opened wide eyes. Try not to look too disappointed? She thought he would be the disappointed one! She thought he hated her! Relief brought a smile to her face and she pushed her hair back.

'Fine, it's a deal,' she said, and Tonks shot her a brilliant smile, one of his best smiles, and went to work without another word.

Andromeda had planned to leave then, but she found herself looking at him as he gardened, his thick fingers removing the earth expertly while his brow furrowed in concentration. He was advancing fast.

'What about yours?' she found herself asking in a low voice.

In the back of her mind, she heard Bellatrix's voice warning her not to come five inches close to a Muggle-born, much less talk to them, but she ignored it. Bella, after all, had decided to befriend the son of a possible murderer, so her judgement was not exactly convincing to Andromeda right now.

Tonks glanced up at her. 'I took care of it while Professor Sprout was talking,' he said. 'Adrian is writing down the first details for the report.'

Andromeda looked behind her back to see Wispbelly was indeed busy with his quill and a piece of parchment. Joy was standing next to him and reading over his shoulder. Her seed had been roughly planted and she hadn't watered it yet.

Andromeda straightened her back and started looking between Joy and Tonks, until Tonks looked back and she was caught like a fly in the golden web of his eyes. Something inside of her inexplicably fluttered.

'You've got something on your mind?' he asked, reverting his attention back to the plant.

Andromeda bit her lip. She had a lot on her mind, yes. Most of it was unintelligible. A lot of it she would rather ignore. Some of it she had to stop running from.

She sighed and gathered her courage before speaking again.

'I'm sorry about Deborah Leeswood.' Ted stopped working. He froze up. Then, slowly, he shifted his eyes towards Andromeda. 'I know she was— _is_ your friend.'

Ted gazed at her with a mix of confusion, suspicion, and sadness which made her want to reflect on all the bad deeds she had ever committed in her life.

'She's my best friend,' he said, 'but thank you. I didn't — I didn't know whether you'd care.'

Andromeda almost chuckled. She had been agonising over the issue for three days. If that was not caring she did not know what was.

'You were the one to remind me we've been classmates for six years,' she said instead. 'Of course I should.'

It warmed her heart, then, to see a genuine grin brighten his features. Happiness fit him so much more than torment.

'Your reply was that we couldn't be friends,' he said.

'And you responded to that by moving to sit right behind me in Charms.'

'You didn't seem to mind all that much.'

'Your friend and my friend almost got into a fist fight.'

'But you and I didn't.'

'Well, of course not. I don't fight.'

'Neither do I.'

'What's your point?'

'I think we get along pretty well.'

Andromeda scoffed to hide genuine amusement. 'You're delusional.'

Ted laughed lightly and turned back to his plant. After a few minutes of comfortable silence he turned back to her and, with a certain air of solemnity, said, 'Thanks for making me smile. I needed that.'

Andromeda's throat constricted into a knot and her lips pursed as if determined to seal her mouth forever. Had she been able to utter a word, she would have had no idea what to say.

'I saw you, by the way, that day at the infirmary,' Ted continued nonchalantly. 'I saw you at the door. Did you leave because of me?'

Andromeda gulped and crossed her arms over her chest. 'I remembered I'd forgotten something,' she said with false disinterest to hide her embarrassment.

'What did you forget?'

'Something.'

Ted smiled. 'I assumed you left because of me.'

Andromeda's face revealed nothing of her internal panic. 'Why would you think that?'

Ted raised an eyebrow. 'Well, there was no one there besides me and Debbie. I assumed you wanted to visit Debbie but left when you saw me because it would have been awkward or something...'

Andromeda frowned. 'Why did you assume I was there for your friend?'

'There was no one else there.'

'Maybe I had a headache.'

'Maybe.' A pause. 'But I don't believe that.'

'Why not?'

'You told me you were sorry about her just a moment ago.'

Andromeda bit her lip and looked away. He had a point.

She could feel him staring at her.

'Have you ever talked to her? Debbie?' he asked.

'Not really, no,' she replied.

'Well,' he said slowly, as if to himself. 'She is kind and hardworking, like all good Hufflepuffs, but you know what? She's terrible at keeping a secret. She's an open book. Nothing to hide. So why would she be roaming around the castle grounds so late into the night?' He frowned and started fidgeting with his robe without realising it. 'I can't get that question out of my head. It's so frustrating.'

Andromeda had also been wondering about that, but she had no answer to give him, so she said nothing.

'And then,' Ted continued, almost in a whisper, 'your sister and Sophie Gamp found her...'

Andromeda stiffened and closed her fists and instinctively, said, 'My sister didn't do it.'

It took Ted by surprise. But he had regained an expression of solemn reflection soon enough.

'Okay,' he said.

Andromeda frowned. 'It's true!'

'I didn't say it wasn't.'

'You don't believe me.'

'I do.

Andromeda raised an eyebrow. 'Why?' she asked. 'Everyone thinks she did it.'

'Everyone has other things to worry about. Except for you, apparently.'

Andromeda took a deep breath. 'Well my sister's mixed up in all this business, so...'

Ted started scratching the back of his neck. 'Well, I can't say I'm a big fan of your sister, but for what it's worth, I don't think you're a liar.'

She felt taken aback for a moment so she simply stared at him. How could he have so much faith in her? He made her feel even worse about all that she was hiding from him. It was almost unbearable. So after many seconds of silent reticence, she said, 'Well... thanks,' in a whisper so low she could barely hear her own voice.

Ted looked at her with curious eyes and blushing cheeks. She turned away and walked over to Joy, trying to ignore the knot in her throat and the flutters in her stomach.

'Meda,' called her friend when she saw her arrive. When Andromeda reached her, she raised an eyebrow while looking above her shoulder. 'What were you two talking about? Wait, is the muggle-born doing your job for you?' she asked, disbelieving.

Andromeda shrugged. 'He wanted to.'

'Well,' chuckled Joy, 'he does have a lot to be forgiven for.'

Andromeda caught herself from asking "what?" as she remember that time he simply stood there while she was being insulted by his friend in Hogsmeade, that time he nearly got himself into serious trouble by attempting to talk to her at the Slytherin table, that time he embarrassed her in Charms class by throwing a... a pen at her... The memories nearly brought a smile to her lips, but she remained composed. Even when Wispbelly stood up to chide them, she only raised an eyebrow.

'His name is Ted, you know,' said the Hufflepuff flatly, standing straighter to meet their eyes.

Joy glared angrily. 'Of course we know!'

From where she stood, Andromeda looked back to see Ted leaning a little away from the pot. He had heard.

'Then call him by his name,' continued Wispbelly.

Joy looked at him with a mix of confusion and annoyance. 'We do!'

She exclaimed.

Wispbelly cocked his head. 'No,' he started very slowly, as if talking to particularly slow children. 'You called him "the muggle-born".'

Joy looked genuinely taken aback. 'Oh,' she said. 'I didn't notice.'

Wispbelly paused for a few seconds before shaking his head in exasperation.

Andromeda turned back again to see Tonks had gone back to work. He seemed relieved.

He finished not long after and, at Andromeda's subtle request, went to correct Joy's work. Wispbelly had nearly finished the first page of the report by then and they wrote the last bit together. Their group was the first to be done with the work, and after Sprout proved satisfied, she allowed them to take their leave.

As Andromeda gathered her stuff, Tonks slid to her side, awkwardly stroking the back of his neck.

'About the deal,' he whispered. 'How long is it effective?'

Andromeda hesitated. 'Are you saying you don't want to do my work for the rest of the school year?'

Ted smiled. 'Depends on the compensation.'

Despite herself, Andromeda found herself smirking also. 'It stands as long as we have this group project. Then it's done,' she said.

Ted nodded. 'Perfect.'

Andromeda nodded also.

There passed a moment, Andromeda was not sure how long, during which they simply stared at each other, and she felt surprisingly at peace, as well as a

little warm... Then he spoke:

'So... are we still not friends?'

She sighed and pushed him out of her way as she headed for the door. _Idiot_.

And as she walked, she could feel his eyes on her and his dimpled smile widening. Her heart felt like it was swelling to gigantic proportions and she was trying really hard to convince herself that it was because she was annoyed with him, not because he made her happy. But even she could not deny that she was relieved by the fact that he looked much happier now than he had at the start of the lesson.

Joy was waiting for her at the door. 'What did he want?' she asked.

'He was talking about plants, I don't know,' mumbled Andromeda.

Joy stared at her oddly for a few long seconds before she started rambling about that one time she

went to her grandmother's and Andromeda sincerely tried to listen but found her mind was always drifting elsewhere. Elsewhere, most of the time, was Ted Tonks.

Her heart was beating fast now, as she thought about the number of words they had exchanged today. The feeling had a very distinct sense of _déjà vu_, and that because it was, indeed, _déjà vu_. How many times would Andromeda find herself talking with the muggle-born only to regret it right afterwards?

_Bellatrix can never know, Bellatrix can never know, Bellatrix can never know, Bellatrix can never know..._

Because really, it was much harder not talking to Ted than it was hiding the truth from Bellatrix. And Bella was hiding her own truths anyway. It was only fair that way.

Yes. It was only fair.

It was also terrifying.


End file.
